Assassin's Creed Syndicate- Perilous Merriment
by EnergyMageFrea
Summary: It wasn't often anyone was able to get the drop on the very clever and witty Jacob Frye for any reason- especially in matters concerning poking fun at another or teasing. However it would seem-there is another in London that perhaps has a sharper tongue than he-a woman who seems able to bring about much more danger than is thought possible, one he doesn't understand. (JacobXReader)
1. Introductions, and Quick Tips!

_It wasn't often anyone was able to get the drop on the very clever and witty Jacob Frye for any reason- especially in matters concerning poking fun at another or teasing. His quick tongue usually allowed him to easily befuddle and scathe others with his remarks, and seemingly always with that nonchalant, carefree smirk grazing his lips. When it came to the game of quick wits and clever remarks- one could always count on Mr. Frye to have some smart-arsed remark on any and all matters- as was his talent._

 _However it would seem- there is another in the swirling masses of London that perhaps has a sharper tongue than he- a woman who seems to be even more fond of making fun and involving herself in mischief than Jacob is himself- and whose propensity for such activities seems to bring much more danger than anyone would assume simple merrymaking would entail- dangers all too close to home. And a woman who he simply cannot understand._

 _(Jacob X Reader)_

* * *

 **Hello! I'd like to take a moment** **to** **introduce** **myself** **and** **list** **a** **few** **quick** **tips** **you** **may** **need** **when** **reading- especially** **if** **you're** **new** **to** **these** **sorts** **of** **stories** **and** **the** **shorthand** **that** **comes** **with** **them!**

 **First off, EnergyMageFrea here! This** **is** **my** **first** **ReaderXCannon** **story, so** **please** **bare** **with** **me! I** **have** **written** **little** **for** **this** **sort** **of** **story, so** **I'm** **learning** **as** **I** **go.**

 **Though** **I** **am** **new** **to** **this** **particular** **type** **of** **story** **telling, I** **have** **been** **writing** **for** **some time** **now-** **though** **I** **am no expert. If** **you're** **interested** **in** **any** **more** **of my** **works, feel** **free** **to** **peak** **at** **my** **Profile** **Page!**

 **AS A NOTE:**

 **This story is something for me to pass the time with and keep myself busy when I'm not really 'feeling it' when trying to write for my other, more serious stories. This story is written for my own amusement, and will be updated when I feel like writing more for it- but because I hate to keep it locked up and only visible for myself, I am sharing what I jot down with all of you! :D This story will by no means take precedence over my other more serious Fanfics, so it isn't going to be updated too regularly. Sorry~ But thought I'd let you all know!**

 **.:+:.**

 **Now** **on** **to** **what** **you** **should** **expect** **in** **the** **story! :**

 **CannonXReader stories are written** **in the Reader** **(yes! You!) POV, but** **I** **myself** **will** **switch** **between the different POV's of the characters involved every** **so** **often** **for** **purposes** **of** **telling** **the** **story in** **the** **most** **interesting** **way** **possible!**

 **As** **the** **Reader, this** **story** **is** **meant** **to** **emerse** **yourself** **into** **the** **World** **of** **AC** **and** **allow** **you** **freedom** **to** **choose** **your** **character** **and** **features-** **to** **feel** **more** **like** **you're** **actually** _**in**_ **the** **story. Since** **everybody** **is** **different, parts** **of** **the** **story** **are 'fill-in-the-blank', where** **you** **fill** **in** **the** **detail** **you'd** **like!**

 **Reference** **to** **the** **ShortHand** **I** **Use-** **and** **their** **meanings! :**

 **(F/N)- First** **Name**  
 **(L/N)- Last** **Name**  
 **(E/C)- Eye Color**  
 **(H/L)- Hair** **Length**  
 **(H/C)- Hair** **Color**  
 **(F/I)- First** **Initial (Of** **your** **first name)**

 **~ These are** **the** **basic** **shorthand** **you** **will** **see** **most** **often** **through** **the** **story, others** **may** **appear- but** **if** **you** **cannot** **at** **least** **guess** **what** **they** **represent, I** **will** **make** **sure** **to** **add** **in** **a** **footnote** **at** **the** **bottom** **of** **that** **particular** **chapter!**

 **Basically, that's** **it! Hopefully** **this** **little** **refresher** **will** **help** **you** **understand** **and** **enjoy** **the** **story** **more** **fully!**

 **I** **do** **appreciate** **your** **time** **taken** **to** **read** **my** **work, and** **will** **very** **much** **appreciate** **any** **feedback** **you** **give** **me! Thank** **you, and** **please** **enjoy!**

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	2. Chapter 1- Waltzing Over Rooftops

_London, 1868_

 _"- in_ _a_ _deadly_ _dance_ _of_ _clashing_ _swords_ _and_ _swinging_ _canes, a_ _frightful_ _swaying_ _that_ _may_ _just_ _end_ _in_ _a_ _great, big,_ _ **SPLAT**_ _!"_

 _ **.:+:.**_

"... Now _who_ is that..?"

Jacob Frye stood upon the edge of the roof a large building, overlooking the homes and businesses of the City of London- great spires and towers rising from the cobblestone streets below milling with people. Sparse few birds flew overhead in the strengthening dusk, the sun falling faster and faster below the riding towers and buildings- the sky painted a fiery red that faded to the pleasing hue of violet on the west horizon.

The bustle and noise of the city below was beginning to fade now that day drew to an end, and the common faces of the daytime hours gave way to more insidious, darkened expressions of those knew were drawn out in the dark and the shadow of London's streets. It was common knowledge to the inhabitants of the city that the night-time hours of the streets were not to be tread lightly- with the several grievances held between the holding Gang's dotted about she city, and the inevitable arousal of some screwy individual out for a bit of bad business- traveling through the city as the sun set and the dim light of the stars as the only light left, was not all together a wise decision.

After all- it was at night that people like Jacob, and those of the likes in which he and his sister hunted, that their activities became more frequent. Even in the three weeks or so his sister and himself had been in the city- they had brought with them a great wave of action and already found themselves in more trouble than most other Assassins in the city would ever dare to drugde up.

It had been rather clear once they arrived that the movements of their fellow Assassins inside of London seemed to doddle quite frequently, there was no clear immediate action taken by the Brotherhood to curb the overwhelming Templar control in the city. It was clear the issue was present and needed to amended, but the action taken to remedy the matter had been little, to none. Nothing significant, nothing good enough- the arrival of Evie and Jacob had been a sudden change in the lull of the Assassins. A pair of great, racing flames sprung into the heart of the city itself.

"What poor sod are you stalking now, Jacob?" The familiar tone of his sister sounded behind him, accompanied by the sound of her boots over the tiles. Jacob didn't turn toward her as she approached him, his eyes remaining fixed upon the figure he had been fervently tailing since early that morning- the same one he had been following for a few days now.

The first glimpse he had seen of his newfound quarry had been whilst dodging down a side street to avoid a group of Blighters- to whom he had gutted one of their compatriots in the street not a moment before...

.:+:.

 _Jacob slipped past the corner and into the awaiting shadowy alley pressed between two large buildings, glancing backward just once to stop the approaching group of men and woman in red- several of them already throwing insults this way and that at passerby and yet unaware of the slumped body of their compatriot ahead of them, lying in a pool of his own blood- that blood of which was still staining the blade strapped to his forearm._

 _He shook the drops off and started forward quickly, hardly bothered by the danger behind him- quite sure those Blighters would never be even remotely intelligent enough to search for the murder down a side street- besides, he would already be so far emersed in the shadows and the solitude of the alley if they did end up looking here. They'd never find him._

 _These sort of backalleys always either seemed filled with rubbish and dirt- or they were inhabited by those merchants who were of a less than 'legal' standing- those merchants whose merchandise was not deemed appropriate for the regaulr markets spotted throughout the city- and whose products were not always attained in a good standing sort of way._

 _This back street was one of those- immediately finding himself among nodded and cloaked people slowly sauntering between the specific tables they were after- hushed murmurings shared between the seller and the buyer, the glint of coin passed between closed fingers, the wary glances toward him as he confidently strode through the center of the alley without hesitation, undisturbed by the goings on around him- a small smirk of amusement pulling at his features._

 _This sort of sight was nothing new to him since coming to the city- he rather enjoyed the idea of there being a darker side to the city that was allowed to fester under the noses of everyone living in it. A part of the city that every one of its inhabitants knew existed- but one that several refused to even acknowledge._

 _It was just his sort of place._

 _And apparently, it was_ their _sort of place as well._

 _His eyes shifted under the shadow of his hat quickly, immediately drawn to the form that seemed somewhat out of place in the surrounding wary and darkened persons._

 _They were leaned over a table, their hood up to shadow their face and keep their features completely from view- dressed in a smart, dark colored coat with a long tail reaching to their mid thigh. Long dark boots reached to their knees and their gloved hands were softly handing over a purse full of coins- his eyes glinted at the bound leather and metal bracers about their arms, easily able to see the armor stretching across their form. Hardened and boiled leather studded with fine-work strips of iron and metal to strengthen, and defend against a large array of different attacks._

 _This figure- whoever they may be, they were armed enough to convince him that this was no ordinary fellow. The only people in London who ever armed themselves to the point of being prepared for nearly any fight or violent event- they were never the common drabble that he oh so often passed by without a second glance._

 _His interest peaked, a small wry smirk spread across his face and he slowed- inspecting the nearest table and the odd bits and trinkets spread across the top- earning a small, silent stare from the stern looking man behind the table._

 _Convinced he was as inconspicuous as he could be, his eyes remained fixed observing the trinkets- while his ears trained to the slightest hints of murmrings between his new found figure of interest and the merchant in which they spoke with._

 _Their words were nearly too faint to catch on to properly, even the short distance between his turned back and the figure- woman or man, he wasn't quite sure- it didn't quite allow him to hear everything passed between the two- hushed as their words were._

 _"... Thank you gent... Much obliged..." The voice of the mysterious figure spoke softly, their voice whisky and low- but he could easily recognize the drawl of one who had grown up in London, their accent nearly as distinguishable as his own- not a foreigner then._

 _"... Yer business is always appreciated... And yer coin..." That was the voice of the merchant, whose words were followed by a low, throaty chuckle and a moment of utter silence that passed between the mysterious figure and the man behind the table. Jacob narrowed his eyes at the bobbles before him- not interested in them of course, more fixed on trying to understand_ ** _why_** _there was a sudden moment of silence._

 _He faintly wondered what sort of 'business' had been conducted- he had seen nothing handed to the figure from the merchant, and even though his first glance on their direction had been fleeting- he had not seen any actual merchandise set upon the table- nothing more than an old worn leather case that was securely latched shut, unopened._

 _He was about to spare a glance over his shoulder, interested in why there was a sudden pregnant pause, and intent on getting a better look to see if anything else was exchanged between them again- when he heard the voice of the other again, soft and low- but clear enough he heard the words easily. He refrained from looking, as to try and keep himself as inconspicuous as he could still._

 _"Until next time my friend, I wish you well." They said easily, Jacob tilted his head just enough to see them step away from the table, their gloved hands pressing together before them with a slight dip of their head in a rather odd- yet formal gesture. He couldn't help himself, he had to look- and he doubted the small, barely perceivable glance was noticed at all._

 _The man standing behind the table was tall and gangly with long limbs and dull grey eyes- a sea of messy brown hair swept away from his eyes and a long patchwork coat that had seen one too many half-assed tailors. He was dirty and thin, his trousers ripped and sewn nearly as much as his coat- he stood in among the other surrounding people of the side street- but for some reason, there seemed to be some odd, foreign glint in his eyes that convinced Mr. Frye that he was no ordinary man himself._

 _He could hardly be bothered with him though, all his attention turned to the other- whose back still faced him and whose features still remained hidden in the shadow of their hood._

 _"Aye," the man replied, the smallest hints of a smirk playing at his lips a moment. "And to you as well- come see me again soon, ya hear?" He chuckled,_

 _"Of course."_

 _The figure slowly turned and began up the street again, their boots clicking on the cobblestone softly and with barely as much noise as Jacob would expect- he took note of the slight sway of the hips and the shoulders of his new quarry as they left him behind- and got the inkling sense it was no man he had taken an interest in._

 _Once he had allowed his new prey to advance ahead of him a reasonable distance as not to attract any suspicion, he slowly turned away from his mock inspection of the goods before him and took off in the same direction- his eyes moving about the street and the back of the figure ahead of him, trying to seem as if he was more interested in his surroundings than any one particular person._

 _He followed slowly, never losing sight of his new target and all the while careful to keep himself hidden and away from any suspicion- completely unaware of the lingering gaze of the man in which the figure had previously been speaking with following him down the road, quite aware who it was the younger Frye Twin was focused upon, a small amused smirk twitching his lips upward slightly._

 _Jacob kept on the trail for a very long time, admently following the figure through crowded streets and around corners- always out of sight and always at an appropriate distance and pace as to keep himself aloof as possible and not alert the mysterious form of his shadowing._

 _They did nothing of any true consequence, for hours he simply allowed himself to follow as they made their way about the city nearly aimlessly- occasionally nodding toward a passerby, but never stopping to chat nor moving toward any place of significance. As unrewarding as it seemed- he had decided to follow someone who was nearly as dull as_ _the_ _rest_ _if_ _the people in London. Their daily activity as random as any bloke on the street... After awhile he began to doubt his actions, and thought of giving up on his venture of becoming their shadow._

 _For whatever strange reason his interest had been peaked enough that he couldn't stop himself from following. It_ _made_ _little sense to continue_ _to_ _shadow_ _someone_ _whose_ _only_ _action_ _of_ _interest_ _had_ _been_ _a_ _small_ _exchange_ _of_ _coins_ _and_ _words_ _between_ _a_ _merchant_ _down_ _a_ _back alley- and_ _who_ _did_ _nothing_ _else_ _of_ _any_ _consequence. The_ _figures_ _armed_ _and_ _out_ _of_ _place_ _appearance_ _had_ _been_ _what_ _had_ _initially_ _caught_ _his_ _eye, but_ _afterwords- what_ _lead_ _him_ _on_ _wasn't_ _their_ _action_ _nor_ _the_ _places_ _they_ _walked_ _about... What_ _it was_ _that_ _peaked_ _his_ _interest_ _was_ _foreign_ _to_ _him, it_ _was_ _a_ _gut_ _feeling, a_ _slight_ _tingling_ _in_ _the_ _back_ _of_ _his_ _mind_ _that_ _kept_ _him_ _following._

 _It_ _was_ _the_ _sort_ _of_ _feeling_ _of_ _something_ _pleasant_ _and_ _somewhat_ _endearing-_ _curiosity_ _for_ _curiosity's_ _sake_ _because_ _for_ _whatever_ _reason, he_ _had_ _a_ _hunch_ _that_ _the_ _figure_ _in_ _which_ _he_ _continued_ _to_ _follow, they_ _had_ _something_ _to_ _hide (their_ _hooded_ _figure_ _was_ _proof_ _enough_ _of_ _that) and_ _he_ _wanted_ _to_ _know_ _what_ _it_ _was, to_ _know_ _who_ _they_ _were, what_ _they_ _would_ _do._

 _What_ _was_ _it_ _that_ _curiosity_ _did?_

 _That's_ _right, killed_ _the_ _cat_.

 _Jacob_ _Frye_ _rounded_ _a_ _corner_ _his_ _quarry_ _suddenly_ _turned_ _down, the_ _crowds_ _of_ _people_ _thinning_ _as_ _the_ _day_ _drew_ _to_ _a_ _close. He_ _quickened_ _his_ _place, intent on_ _keeping_ _an_ _eye_ _on_ _them-_ _taking_ _the_ _corner_ _at_ _a_ _brisk_ _pace_ _and_ _being_ _suddenly_ _met_ _with_ _an_ _empty_ _alleyway._

 _He_ _paused, eyes_ _glancing_ _around_ _quickly_ _and warily- trying_ _to_ _pinpoint_ _where_ _it_ _was_ _his_ _prey_ _had_ _disappeared_ _to, but_ _unless_ _they_ _had_ _suddenly_ _sprouted_ _wings_ _and_ _taken_ _to_ _the_ _air-_ _he_ _couldn't_ _see_ _any_ _place_ _where_ _they_ _could_ _have_ _hidden_ _away_ _amongst_ _the_ _tall_ _stone_ _walls_ _flanking_ _the_ _small_ _alleyway._

 _With_ _a_ _small_ _disgruntled_ _frown_ _pulling_ _at_ _his_ _lips, he_ _sighed_ _slightly_ _and stepped back. He_ _didn't_ _like_ _that_ _he_ _had_ _lost_ _them, and_ _faintly_ _wondered_ _if_ _he_ _had_ _been_ _made-_ _resulting_ _in_ _the_ _sudden_ _vanishing. How_ _he_ _would_ _have_ _been_ _seen, was_ _a_ _mystery-_ _sure_ _he_ _had_ _kept_ _enough_ _of_ _a_ _distance_ _to_ _ensure_ _his_ _quarry_ _hadn't_ _taken_ _notice_ _of_ _him._

 _He_ _shook_ _his_ _head_ _at_ _himself,_

 _He'd_ _find_ _them_ _again_ _the_ _next_ _day, he_ _wasn't_ _ready_ _to_ _give_ _up_ _on_ _it-_ _and_ _the_ _way_ _they_ _suddenly_ _vanished_ _only_ _helped_ _to_ _deepen_ _his_ _curiosity_ _even_ _more._

 _"How_ _interesting..." His_ _lips_ _pulled_ _into_ _a_ _small_ _amused, and_ _intrigued_ _smirk_ _as_ _a_ _glint_ _of_ _excitement_ _sparkled_ _in_ _his_ _dark_ _eyes._

 _".. Very_ _interesting."_

 **.:+:.**

Evie stopped just beside her twin, arms crossed over her chest and icy blue eyes twinkling in question.

Evie, as always- had been stuffed up in the Train studying away on all research and information regarding the Piece of Eden she so tirelessly worked to procure. She usually didn't give her brother much mind- seeing as how his days had been spent running about the city chasing his fantasy of ruling over the Boroughs of the city, and allowing his own 'Gang' to prosper.

But even amongst her studies she had noticed the absense of her younger half for the past few days- where Jacob could usually be found sprawled across the couch inside the Locomotive, or otherwise shuffling about the cars- he had been seldom seen on the train as of late, and she had become curious as to why. First thoughts would have been Jacob had gotten himself into a bit of a mess, or perhaps he was out drunk with his followers in some pub- what came as a surprise was to find him feverishly following a lone figure throughout the city.

Noticing who it was he was following- she did see that they seemed well armed, she caught glimpse of a steel blade tucked away in the back of their coat- and the form of twin pistols strapped at their sides. She would have guessed a possible target Jacob hoped to dispose of- but quickly trashed the idea, seeing he wasn't pursuing to inflict harm- it was more... curiosity, than anything else. Burning curiosity.

She did however, fail to catch glimpse of this person's face- they never dropped their hood, and neither she nor Jacob approached closely enough to get any sort of decent glance.

Jacob himself was still unaware of who they were- he had tried getting closer and closer over the last few days, but every time he got close enough to try and learn anything more- they always managed to slip past him. He was becoming increasingly infuriated with how easily they were able to lose him, and equally unhappy he still hadn't aquired any more information- still unable to quench his thirst to know more about them.

Their movements were never the same as the day prior, there was no pattern to their movement throughout the city- it was all very random.

And none of it was cause for interest, and yet he didn't care. He simply wanted to know.

"Jacob." Evie said flatly, not particularly thrilled that her brother ignored her and continued to gaze after the form of the figure below them. His eyes were locked so intently upon them, it was slightly unnerving. When he still did not answer, she sighed slightly. "Is this the same person you've been tailing for days now?"

She received a small 'mhmm' in response to her question, though he still refrained from glancing to her.

"And why?" She sighed, "Is this a person of interest in your efforts to retake the city, perhaps even a Templar? Or are they simply a passing fancy?"

"I don't know, Evie." He responded, surprisng her at how utterly annoyed he sounded, the frown pulling at his usually carefree and cheerful features deeply.

"What have they done to catch your interest so?"

"I don't know." He muttered, frowning a bit more at his own uncertainty.

"Jacob, how can you possibly not know?" She sighed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Well Evie, its rather simple actually- I just don't have any bloody _clue_ why this damned buggger has caught my attention as much as they have. I just can't walk away from it, for whatever reason they _bother_ me- I have to know who they are, what they plan. I just have a feeling, and I can't ignore it." He retorted hotly, annoyed at the questions and himself. Evie blinked, her head tilting slightly- knowing despite the unhappy reaction to her questioning, she knew enough of her brother to understand there was truth in his scathing reply.

The remark of him 'having a feeling' was probably the most truthful thing he had said,

"Well, is this feeling of yours a good or a bad one?" She asked easily, used to dealing with him and his temper. He huffed slightly in response,

"Both."

For a moment they both gave into silence, their eyes flicking toward the figure below them- to who was now making their way across the street, easily dodging between carriages and over to the other side, leaving a few drivers to yell at their actions but otherwise was undisturbed.

One of the urchins often found roaming the streets, who had been sprinting down the street, suddenly crashed into the figure at enough speed to cause them to stumble- the small boy stumbling backward and barely staying on his feet, before he promptly fell in his arse.

Jacob leaned over, his hand grasped around a protruding pipe to keep himself dangling over the edge.

The figure paused, turning to the boy and crouching in front of him, extending a gloved hand toward him to help him up, the boy's eyes widened just slightly before he smiled softly and reached out to take their hand.

The figure easily pulled the boy back up, murmuring a few unheard words before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder- slipping past him and continuing on their way.

"Interesting." Jacob smirked, catching Evie off guard by the sudden upheaval in his otherwise unhappy and annoyed mood.

"What? An orphan stumbled into them, what could possibly be interesting about that?" She muttered,

He turned toward her with an amused grin, "Oh my dear Evie," he chided in a mocking tone. He pulled himself back from dangling over the edge, "All that time spent pouring over papers seems to have damaged your eyesight, did you really not see that note the little urchin slipped to my person of interest when he was pulled to his feet?"

Her eyebrows knotted together a moment, slightly unamused by the mocking tone he used with her- and for a moment wondering if his sudden obsession with their mysterious figure had caused him to imagine this supposed 'note' shared between the boy and Jacob's quarry. She had indeed, _not_ seen any exchange of a note whatsoever- though she wasn't as fixated as Jacob seemed to be.

"Note?" She echoed, deciding she would humor her twin- even if she wasn't sure he had seen what he thought he had. "Whatever for?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" He suggested, his grin pulling at his defined features a bit more taughtly, before he swiftly started moving- before Evie could find her voice to warn him against such an action.

For what little she and Jacob knew of this figure, she knew enough to realize a direct approach may not be the best course of action- if the clearly armed and potentially dangerous outward appearance had anything to say on the matter.

Not many people outside the Assassins, Templars, Police, Blighters, and the Rooks carried weapons of any sort around London.

"What are you planning Jacob?" Evie called, moving to follow her brother across the roof tiles- his eyes still glued to the figure moving along the street below them, seemingly lost in their own thoughts and completely unaware of the twins traveling above them.

"I'm planning to steal that note." He called back easily,

"Is that really the best course of action?" She questioned,

"I believe it is." He answered, her questions doing nothing but annoying him with how many she was throwing his way. "Sister, be a dear and kindly shut your trap- I'd like to get on with my business." He spared a meaningful glance her way, met with the frown she gave him in his rudeness. "Don't you have some books to read?" He asked, she hissed under her breath.

She opened her mouth, ready to snap back at him with some scathing retort- she was used to his tongue, and his antics- but none the less, even after all these years- he was still able to get under her skin rather well.

"And don't you have someone to catch?" She snapped back lowly, he blinked- slightly confused. "Perhaps if your eyes were as quick as your tongue- you'd have realized by now your 'person of interest' is no longer in sight. Maybe if you spent less time being such an arrogant prat, you'd be able to focus on the important matters at hand."

Jacob's head and attention snapped around toward what Evie had pointed out- his eyes widening in shock to see she was _right_ \- the figure previously below him was now completely out of sight- they'd slipped him, _again_!

"Damn it!" He growled, "How do they move so quickly?"

"You're just too slow in your head to keep up." Evie muttered under her breath- igniting a sudden spark in him that made his annoyance flare uncontrollably.

"You distracted me!" He snapped back, head whipping away from searching the street toward his sister, anger simmering higher and higher.

"You're _both_ distracting, is it not common practice when tailing someone- to keep your bloody mouths shut, hmm?"

Both of the Frye Twins stiffened at the sudden unfamiliar voice- their heads snapping sideways instantly to spot the figure that Jacob had been following so closely for days now.

They were settled atop a pair of chimney pipes protruding from the roof, arms on their knees as they gazed at the both of them from underneath their hood- (Y/E/C) glinting in slight amusement and an unnervingly dangerous light.

 _She_ , she gazed at them in their shocked stupor levelly for a few moments, lips pulled into a tight line as she looked them up and down- her eyes lasting a little longer on Jacob.

"I could hear the both of you from the damned street." She announced lowly, "The effort you put into shadowing me for so long is rather commendable- but you still have a lot to learn about remaining _undetected_."

She gestured a gloved hand and a pointed finger toward Jacob, who by now along with his sister had managed to gather his wits back about him.

His eyes narrowed a little, did she mean she knew he was following her this entire time?

And she let him continue to do so?

 _Was she playing with me?_

Her hand moved up, in between two of her fingers she held a small folded piece of paper- her eyes glinting.

"Is this what you want?" She asked lowly, her lips twitching slightly at the corners.

Evie cast her brother a small, fleeting glance- realizing immediately he _had_ known what he was talking about, she must have lost her touch... She honestly hadn't noticed any note passed to the woman from the boy.

Or perhaps Jacob was so immersed in this woman his attention had grown hyper aware.

"Yes, that." Jacob replied, taking a small step in her direction. "And also, I planned to figure out- who exactly are you?"

"Why do you ask?" She answered easily, her hand dropping as she replaced the note inside of her coat.

"Well clearly I wouldn't have been following you for days if I hadn't believed you were of some interest." He said, smirking slightly.

"That was not the question." She shot back calmly, "What was it that _caught_ your attention at all? I understand you must have a reason for believing I was someone of interest- but what _convinced_ you?" He smirked a little more.

"You mean apart from the disappearing around corners, business with shady merchants, passing notes between the urchins- and now your rather adept climbing ability?" He smiled, managing to earn a light chuckle from her, eyes glinting in amusement. "I suppose it could have been _anything."_ He shrugged, still smiling all the while. Evie shook her head and rolled her eyes at her brother and his antics.

"Hehe... As charming as you seem to think you are- and as amusing as this little chat has been, I'm afraid I really can't have you meddling in my affairs any longer, nor continuing to follow me all about the town." She murmured lowly, suddenly standing up, her boots clicking atop the top of the chimneys with the utmost balance and poise. Evie and Jacob instinctively tensed, Jacob's hand drawing behind his back while Evie lay a hand on the cane at her side.

"I do apologize for it turning out this way- perhaps you should have learned to curb your curiosity."

The woman jumped toward them in an instants time, her hand quickly tossing a smoke bomb their way and engulfing the rooftop and causing both the Frye twins to double over, coughing and spluttering as the smoke reached their lungs and stung their eyes.

Jacob broke free of the cloud, in his hand clutched the Kukri he had on his person, spinning around to try and spot either his sister or the mysterious woman who had now suddenly turned an enemy.

His arm swung up quickly to block the blow of the short, silver blade that the woman swung toward him. It was just longer than his own weapon, and slightly narrower- with dark inlaid metal line work etched into the blade and the handle.

The clash of steel on steel filled the air as the woman advanced on him, their blades sliding up the other as they separated and she swung out again- he jumped backward, spinning out of the way of the next lightning fast blow she sent his way.

She moved with such agility and grace... And her strength, it was more than he would have thought of in a woman. And the calm ferocity with which she advanced toward him- the calculating and dead stare, it was just slightly unnerving.

Evie swept up behind the woman, cane raised as she swung out to catch her unawares while her sights were set on Jacob.

With one quick movement she twirled on the balls of her feet and easily deflected Evie's strike, the butt of her blade's handle shoving into his sister's side hard enough to make her double over and cough out.

"Nice try." The woman told her, "It won't be that easy, even with the both of you together." Evie just gave her an angry, slightly pained glare.

Her attention snapped back around toward the younger of the Frye Twins as he moved to attack her again, and again- she easily avaided his attacks, blocked them, parried them- she was easily moving this way and that with both his steps, and Evie's when she regained her composure and started forward again.

They were moving across the rooftops in the deepening twilight, hopping over chimneys and climbing to higher ledges- slipping between each other and spinning, swords and blades and canes dancing off against each other in the sound of clashing metal. Evie and Jacob alike did everything they could to try and land a decent blow to their mysterious adversary- but it would seem her skills in evading and defense easily outmatched the wit, speed, skill and strength between the both of them combined- they couldn't manage to touch her.

It was all and endless dance across the rooftops- never ending, not a break nor hardly even a pause. A waltz held between the three of them as they remained locked in step and swing.

Jacob brought his pistol up and from his holster, aiming straight at the woman the moment she turned her back toward him to parry a blow from his sister- lips curling into a smirk, already anticipating his victory. His finger tensed on the trigger,

 _ **BAM**_!

The woman had leaned sideways from the line of fire of his pistol, her hand grasping firmly onto Evie's cane as his sister was yanked sideways hard enough to send her sprawling across the tiles, rolling over the sloping edge of the roof- the shot missing both his traget and his sister alike. Evie lost hold of her cane and the woman twirled it, jabbing it behind her as she stepped backward toward Jacob, her arm and the cane slamming into his own as she quickly grabbed hold of his pistol and drove the end of the cane into his hand with a painful crunch-

He hissed, the pistol ripped from his hand, blood welling where the iron end of the cane had broken the skin. The woman tossed his pistol away and out of sight, twisting as she lift a boot and shoved the heel into his stomach- kicking him backward with incredible force.

Never before had they come across such a tough opponent- it was very clear they were out of their league.

".. Damn it.." Jacob hissed, the breath driven from his lungs as he rolled over. He looked up toward the woman as she slowly walked his way, her (E/C) eyes glinting with too many different emotions he couldn't begin to try and place them.

"You picked the wrong woman to follow, mate." She murmured lowly, a small smile pulling at her face.

"... Apparently!" He huffed, annoyed and unhappy- but none the less even in this situation his cheeky attitude remained somewhat. "Had I known how good you were, I wouldn't have let you sneak up on me at all." The woman paused, "But now, I'm even _more_ interested in you. Why not give us a small little hint, a small token for our efforts? At least tell us who you are, eh?" He smirked, climbing to his feet slowly. "If you're really intent on murdering us, who are we gonna tell when we're dead?"

"You're clearly very well trained." The woman's head tilted slightly in the direction of Evie, who scrambled back up to the same level of the rooftop as her brother. "Much better than the regular Blighters. Without having seen you before, that must mean you're used to working in the shadows... In secret... Could that mean you're a Templar?"

The woman's small faded smile suddenly stretched into a grin, and she chuckled under her breath. Apparently finding that amusing, both Evie and Jacob exchanged uncertain glances between them.

"Care to share the joke?" Jacob asked, slightly unenthused with the response.

"... Hehe... You're very intelligent." The woman replied, her eyes on Evie and not on Jacob. He frowned at the clear move to ignore him. "Its a very good guess, but you're not quite there, sorry." Evie's blue eyes narrowed in question,

"If you're not a Templar, what the devil are you?" Jacob muttered,

"Keep guessing- you may just figure it out eventually." The woman laughed lightly, "If you live that long."

The woman suddenly dropped Evie's cane and instead pulled one of her own pistols out, aiming straight for Evie herself.

Jacob made a move to jump forward and attempt to stop the woman from firing- too late as she pulled the trigger.

Evie jumped sideways, realizing too late the shot wasn't _meant_ for her- but for the box of chemicals abandoned on the rooftop near her.

The glass containers inside erupted in fire and a resounding boom that sent glass, wood and shillings flying everywhere. The wave of force from the explosion was enough to knock Evie over the edge of the building and out of sight.

"Evie!" Jacob shouted, eyes wide as he stared at the place she had disappeared.

A simple task of following some strange woman through the city- had somehow erupted into a fight for their lives against an opponent who was much better, and much more dangerous than they were themselves.

He had indeed chosen the wrong woman to follow. His curiosity had doomed him, and his sister.

"You should keep your eyes on your opponent."

His gaze snapped back just as he saw her fist swing our toward him, the iron welded into her gloves via her gauntlet stinging as he stumbled backward- jaw aching. The glint of her blade in the starlight flashed, and he stumbled backward more to avoid it.

Flicking his wrist back the Hidden Blade slid into view as he parried and fended off the attacks coming at him now in rapid succession, nearly too fast for him to keep up with as he continued to back up- and she continued to drive him backward.

He growled, the ring of his blade against hers on the air as he quickly brought a fist up, his arm rushing into hers with enough force to bruise immediately as she lift her left arm to block- Jacob lift his Hidden Blade and brought the edge across her upper right arm- ripping the robes and cutting flesh in a sudden well of crimson. His movements were much harsher and much quicker now that his anger was bubbling, and he reveled at the look of shock that appeared across her face at actually being hit.

She hissed at the pain, as he twisted and knocked the hardened leather of his bracer into her blade- knocking it from her grasp.

She blinked in surprise.

"I think its time we end the game, don't you?" He growled, now sure he had the upper hand.

She smirked, with lightning fast movements she twisted her body and ran her elbow into his stomach harshly, shoving him backward with her shoulder and sending him falling backward- to meet _empty air._

Without having realized it- the woman had backed him all the way up against the very edge of the building they stood upon, and now she had shoved him over the edge- bound to hit the cobblestone far, far below with a sickening crunch.

He strained, his arm reaching out and managing to grab onto her forearm- meeting the warm sticky feel of her blood welling up from the wound he had managed to inflict. Instinctively, her fist bunched around his collar tightly- her other arm stretching as she held fast to a chimney pipe- keeping herself- and for the moment- Jacob, from toppling over the edge.

He dangled in near mid air, his fingers slipping in the wet her blood created- he heard her wince at the stone hard grip he held. She was his only life line from falling to his death, and immediately he realized it.

His eyes glinted uncertainly, meeting her own from under the hood. In a sudden standstill he managed to make out her features a bit more, her smooth skin, fair jawline, rounded nose- and even the slightest hints of (H/C) strands of hair dangling around her face. For a moment that seemed like an eternity, they simply gazed at one another, in utter silence.

"You either pull me up, or we both go over." He said at length, deciding to make it known that she would be dying as well if she wasn't willing to pull him back. He would rather live, if it was all the same to her.

Deadlocked, the Assassin and the mysterious woman, that for some unknown reason- had captured his utmost interest- were suddenly locked together, one movement away from either living, or dying.

He wondered, if she was sensible enough to want to save herself- even if that meant saving him.

Maybe she was a madwoman- and was planning to send them both to their deaths.

He simply didn't know- it was his want to know, to understand her that had ultimately gotten him into this mess. He found himself searching the neutral expression placed across her face- trying to guess at her next move. Trying to guess what was going through her head.

 _Not_ a Templar... So what then..?

"What'll it be, lass?" He asked once the silence stretched on too long for his liking. She didn't react, "You're not really going to sacrifice the both of us, are you?"

Suddenly, in all his searching and all his wondering- in his failure to read her expression and guess at what she was feeling- all of that changed.

There was a wide, cheerful, slightly mischievous grin that spread across her face in the next instant. Her features lightened, and the sense of danger she had been giving off suddenly vanished completely- her eyes glinted in the utmost amusement, she chuckled lightly under her breath.

So dumbfounded he found himself at her sudden change in demeanor- he could only stare, his mind having a hard time piecing together what was happening.

Even dangling over his certain death, his only lifeline being a woman who seemed intent on murdering him- all that passed across his mind in that single moment... Was how beautiful she suddenly looked with such a smile on her lips.

"I'm afraid no one is being sacrificed tonight, Mr. Frye." She told him softly, lightly. Her grip on his collar loosened completely- leaving his grip on her arm the only thing keeping him up. "Least of all you and your sister- I have so much planned for the both of you." She grinned a little more, "I do look forward to getting into all sorts of trouble with the two of you."

Her fist clenched, his mind still whirling as he suddenly glanced down to her bracer- and his heart leapt to his throat. The all too familiar _shing_ of her Hidden Blade sliding from her bracer and toward him rung on the air- instinctively he let go of her to avoid the blade, meeting only open air as he began to plummet.

His eyes found hers again just as he began to fall, the lighthearted light that came into them, the calm, the softness... There was no ill-will on her face anymore. She didn't seem a threat, if that was possible.

It suddenly occurred to him... That she had every opportunity to kill him, and Evie- she was clearly skilled enough to do so. She had hit them- but never stabbed, never cut- he hadn't thought about it until that moment.

She had been playing with them, brawling... She hadn't been trying to _kill_ them. If she had been- both he and Evie would have probably been dead long ago... But why? What reason? What was her aim if not to kill them?

Blighters always tried to kill them- Templars were the same. And she knew who he was, who Evie was...

Not a Templar... No... Could she be...

 _... An_ _Assassin..?_

 **.:+:.**

 **Thank** **you** **for** **reading, I** **appreciate** **you, your** **time, and any votes** **and** **feedback** **that** **come** **through! Thank** **you! :)**

609


	3. Chapter 2- Welcome To London

_London_ _, 1868_

 _"Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit." - William Shakespeare_

 _"But better to be a clever wit, than an utter fool."_

 ** _.:+:_**.

What was it that curiosity did to the cat?

 _Killed_ it of course, and Jacob being the cat- and yet not so, he was now hurtling from the top of the building- waiting to crack his skull open on the cobblestone street below, no chance of landing on his feet as cats often do.

"JACOB!"

Evie had scrambled back onto the roof after having been knocked off- managing to keep hold of the edge and keep herself from falling completely- though, it would have been a short and rather painless fall- seeing as how the next level below the edge of the roof she had rolled off of was only five feet down. She had managed to avoid the explosion all together, being far enough away it hardly posed a threat.

That had been all according to your intention of course, seeing as how seriously harming the twins had never been your true aim.

Evie sprinted toward you, snatching her cane up off the tiled roof and eyes narrowed in pure anger. You picked your blade up from the ground and turned toward her and away from the edge of the roof, for a moment hearing Jacob shout 'woah!' As he fell through the air- you were unperturbed by it.

"You-!"

"Peace Evie!" You said quickly, holding a hand up to motion for her to stop. After the rather long spout of battling you had done- you weren't looking to continue with her, at least not just yet. You'd seen your fill for now.

She slowed up, eyes narrowing at hearing you address her by her name. The small smile pulling at your lips was confusing to her as well, as you replaced your blade into its sheathe and nodded to her.

"I apologize for the unorthodox introduction- I never intended any real harm to you or your brother, but when I took notice of him following me- I knew you'd be close behind and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play with you a little." You chuckled, deciding on the truth now and hoping to ease the tension you had sprung up.

"You say you don't mean us harm, but you just dropped my brother off the edge of the building." Evie growled lowly, you laughed.

"Yes, but I did so knowing he would have a soft landing." You assured lightly, easily meeting the flinty gaze that Evie set upon you. "He may be cross with me letting him fall- but he is alright, I assure you." A small smirk pulled st your lips, hand reaching up to unbuckle the collar about your neck- pulling it down to leave bare your skin and the silver pendent of the Brotherhood's symbol on a collar about your neck.

"You can trust me, as a fellow Assassin. I assure you, I am no enemy." You practically purred, before stepping aside and waving a hand behind you, "If you're still unsure, have a look. There was a lovely cart full of leaves to catch him."

You gave Evie enough room to slip past you, with enough of a wide berth for her own comfort- seeing as how it was clear she was still not in any mood to trust you even slightly.

Understandable you supposed.

Evie crossed over to the edge of the roof as you kept walking a few paces in the other direction, inspecting the cut Jacob had managed to inflict across the top of your arm- deciding it wasn't anything to worry over. With a small, slightly amused sigh you pulled your hood down and took in a deep breath of the cool night air of London.

The slight breeze ruffled your (H/L) (H/C) as you brushed a stray piece from your eyes- the rest pulled into a braid tied up into a loop at the back of your head. You glanced backward to see Evie peer over the edge of the building, the slightly shocked yet relieved look passing across her face signaled she saw what you spoke of- her dear brother lying in a cart full of leaves, unharmed and very much alive.

"Are you alright, Jacob?" She called down,

"Alright?! I'm going to bloody kill her!" He snapped back, his anger returning- a turn from the very clear shock and confusion you had seen on his face just before letting him fall.

Evie sighed a little, immediately aware he was _just_ fine.

The older Frye Twin slowly turned back your way- the ghost of shock passing over her face when she finally got a look at you without your hood on,

"It seems you were telling the truth..." Evie relented slowly. You nodded slightly, smiling just a little with your back still turned toward her, your eyes passing over the stars overhead- the few that managed to poke through the smog in the air. You heard her begin to approach you,

"It would seem you know who we are, yet we don't seem to know you." Evie said, you turned toward her with a small nod, a smile still pulling at your features.

For however odd it seemed, this small exchange you had facilitated between yourself and the Frye Siblings had rather amused you.

"Aye, it would seem so." You relented, "Not a surprise, given the secrecy I tend to need for my business." You answered, holding a hand up to cut her off as she was about to ask what your _business,_ was. "-Which, relatively speaking, is knowing the goings on in the city and those in it- most particularly the Templars, and the other Assassins." You smiled a little more at the curious look she gave you. "Most recently, the two of you. You've both been making quite a fuss since you arrived." You chuckled,

"Would you consider our exploits a good or bad thing?" Evie asked lightly,

"I don't much care if the things you do are 'good' nor 'bad'." You answered honestly, because in all respect you truly didn't care.

You were completely content to let the both of the Frye Twins do as they pleased- a view seemingly shared with Henry Green. It mattered little to you the morality of their actions- you're only concern was knowing what it was they did. To be informed and aware of their goings on.

That, in essence- was your role among the London Branch of the Brotherhood. To collect, send, and receive information- to keep tabs on the important people in the city, and advise the other Assassins of particular events rolling into place when the need arised. Around the city you had dozens upon dozens of ties and contacts with certain people- all of which worked to keep you in the know of everything and anything going on at any time.

You weren't much for making yourself known, you stuck to the shadows whenever possible and didn't draw any attention to yourself when you could help it. Which worked well- considering in your line of work, secrecy was the best way to go about things.

The arrival of the Frye Twins had caught your interest, and their action since their short time being in London was amusing and interesting to say the least- most particularly, the venture that Mr. Frye seemed to have taken on building his own Gang, and attempting to run the Blighters from control, which was no doubt going to piss off their Templar Masters.

 _Was was it he called them? The... Rooks, was it?_

You smiled a little more at the thought,

"All I know is, you're moving things that have been still for decades." You went on, "Which could be both good and bad- but that matters little to me personally."

"Hmm... Mr. Green didn't mention you when we arrived." Evie said, changing the subject back toward you- you noticed, she was trying to understand more about you.

"I wouldn't assume he would have." You chuckled lightly, "Mr. Green is well aware that if for whatever reason you _needed_ to know me, or were in need of my services- I would find you myself." You gestured toward her with a wry, amused smile. "Which, now I have."

"I thought Jacob found you." Evie replied,

"He did stumble upon me, yes." You relented. "But I am the one who allowed him to shadow me for the last few days. I was curious to see what he would do." You grinned, Evie blinked. Which, as it seemed- he had planned to steal from you, though you didn't mind.

"Well, regardless- Jacob is sure to try and retaliate against you." Evie said, a slight hint of warning in her tone. "You may not have meant any true harm as you say, but he isn't likely to easily forgive you- regardless of true intentions, or the fact that you are a fellow Assassin." Evie sighed slightly, "My brother can hold a grudge if he wants to."

You grinned, not all deterred by what she said- and just more amused by it.

"I do hope he doesn't hold one for long. It'd be rather unpleasant company to have him so unhappy toward me- as I'm sure our businesses will eventually align." You replied, Evie simply looked at you.

It would seem she wasn't sure what to make of you, which was true- you were confusing to her.

How fast you had gone from a trifling fancy, to an enemy, and now a supposed ally? Your mannerism and the way in which you chose to reveal yourself to both Evie and her brother was odd to say the least- and your motives for doing so weren't very clear.

You couldn't help yourself though, you did have a habit of playing with people- messing with them. You loved to jest and joke around, and reveled in people's reactions when you caught them off guard- it was all one great, big game to you... After all, you were a very light-hearted person. You hardly ever took matters as seriously as you should, and were perpetually optimistic- and you were also known to be quite clever, and have a sharp tongue about you. It was simply who you were.

"I suppose we'll see, won't we?" Evie replied, her attention catching on to what yours did- the sound and sight of Jacob pulling himself over the edge of the building, the sound of wire spinning catching your immediate attention.

The grappling hook retracted into his bracer as he glared in your direction, looking thoroughly annoyed. Your eyes landed on the contraption, admiring a moment the complexity- and the usefulness.

"A gift from Mr. Belle I assume?" You murmured, motioning to the contraption on both Jacob, and Evie's bracers.

"So you know Aleck?" Evie responded, not quite the answer you asked for- but enough to tell you it was the Scotsman who had been responsible for the device.

You gave Evie a wide, very amused smirk, your (E/C) eyes twinkling.

"Dear Evie, I know _everyone_." You responded, and it was true enough.

"You damned woman!" Jacob snapped, stalking over toward the both of you, a scowl pulling at his features. "How dare you?! What sort of insane bugger would throw someone off a roof like that?!"

 _Probably the both of you, especially when it comes to battling Blighters._

You didn't say that out loud though.

"You let go." You answered easily, still gingerly holding to the wound on your arm- hand stained crimson.

"You were going to _stab_ me!" He shot back.

"If you hadn't been willing to let go of me in favor of my blade- I wouldn't have killed you." You assured, "As I told you- I don't intend to really harm you." Though the notion hadn't been reciprocated, you thought- feeling a sudden flash of pain run up your arm.

 _It was deserved... I did pretend to try and murder them both... I just hadn't expected him to actually get the chance to hit me._

"Regardless, don't think you're going to be forgiven so easily!" He snapped, hands curled into fists and preparing to advance toward you, while you simply stood your ground.

Evie stepped between you and her brother, hands up in a calming gesture. She stopped him in his tracks before he could get any closer- she would much rather avoid another confrontation- and she had enough sense to realize attacking a fellow Assassin would be heavily frowned upon, especially considering how new they were to the city and the Assassins here.

"Jacob, please. I understand you're angry, but you really can't be trying to murder a fellow _Assassin_." She told him lowly, her tone edged with a light warning. She made sure to emphasize Assassin, trying to bring him down a little.

"Sod that!" He snapped lowly, clearly it didn't make a difference to him if you were Assassin, Templar, whatever. "Assassin or not, you're not getting away with all of that!" His eyes moved past his sister toward you, flashing in annoyance and anger.

 _Such a temper..._

"You can _try_ repaying me for my little game I played with the both of you." You replied, your smile never fading, his anger failing to faze you. "I understand it was rather unpleasant- but as long as you still live and breath I wouldn't think too much into it. And I wouldn't dwell either, there is little point." There was little point, though your actions may not be liked- there wasn't anyone in any position to punish you for it, you were both Evie and Jacob's better in the Brotherhood- though they weren't aware of that.

"You really think you can talk me into letting you off?" He snorted, earning a small blink from yourself- before you chuckled.

"Perhaps I can, perhaps I can't." You replied, stepping toward him as Evie stepped aside from being in front of him, the both of the twins eyeing you warily in your approach.

Your hand raised and fell into the inside of your jacket- noticing the both of them tensed slightly. "Either way, it doesn't really matter if you're angry with me, or even like me- it's not my business to be liked."

"And what is your 'business'?" He asked,

"Information." You answered lightly, failing to go into it- sure Evie would reciprocate what you told her later on, "Speaking of which- I have some for you. I suppose I owe you, for the scare if nothing else." You laughed at the scowl he gave back to you.

You pulled your hand from your jacket, in your fingers held two small folded notes, extending your hand toward him as he eyed the paper silently. One of them was clearly the same you had received from that Orphan boy out on the street, (Daniel was his name, for future reference- he was one of the many under your orders), the other was unfamiliar to him.

"What for?" He asked,

"You're crusade, of course." You smiled, "And, your curiosity." He hesitated, "Go on."

His eyes met your own for a few moments, the world seeming to slow down just slightly around you. He was searching again, you realized- trying to understand you.

He'd have a hard time with that.

When he still refrained from taking the papers, Evie moved to take them instead- you would have let her, but his sister's sudden action snapped his attention away from searching you, and Jacob snatched the papers from your hand before Evie could touch them. He shot his sister a look, one she just shook her head at.

"Such a child..." She muttered, you chuckled at the comment and pulled another piece of paper from your jacket, motioning for Evie to take it. She seemed slightly surprised,

"As I understand it, you're both working on your own leads and agenda's, correct?" You asked, earning a small nod from her.

"Yes, while Jacob is out starting wars- I've been searching for any leads on a Piece of Eden here in London."

"As I thought." You murmured, nodding your head slightly. You held the third note toward her a little more, "These are a few leads I have on one such subject- I'm not sure how much use they'll be, but perhaps one will bear fruit." She looked genuinely surprised at you, and your offer- before taking the note herself, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Thank you, any help is more than appreciated." You nodded,

"Certainly."

"And what is it that warranted such kindness?" Your eyes turned to Jacob as he asked the question, you just gazed at him. "What's the catch?"

"Must there be an ulterior motive?" You questioned back.

"I just find it a little hard to believe you'd be doing this out of the kindness of your heart." He replied,

"Hmm, well it isn't so much kindness as it is duty." You answered, "Information I give is given because I feel you need it- or that whatever details I learn will ultimately benefit the Brotherhood in some way. I don't do it out of pure kindness, and I don't expect compensation in return." You answered, taking a small step away from them- intent on leaving, though a part of you didn't want to.

This small exchange had truly amused and interested you- it had been something you'd wanted for some time now, a chance to meet London's quickly rising stars among the Assassins. You couldn't doubt they were skilled- though inexperienced. You had the feeling they would be doing some great things in the future- and you very much wanted to be there to see things unfold.

But, alas... You're every day activities were rather many in actual number- they took up a lot of your time, _all_ of your time actually... There was no curb in the steady stream of things you needed done, things you had to do, to collect, to pass along. You had already abandoned the bulk of your duties to give into your own interests and allow Jacob to tail you- all the while you watched him without him knowing, and all the while- you had enjoyed observing him.

 _Yes, skilled indeed... He even landed a blow._

Still- you knew it was long past due to get back to your duties and your business- though you hated to cut your meeting with the Twins short.

 _Such a shame..._

A smirk grew on your face after a moment.

"... Though I don't _require_ compensation- as gathering information is what I have been assigned to do by the Brotherhood- don't be surprised if I call on your help, should I need it." You added in, seeing Jacob's eyes narrow at you, and the sensible look that passed across the face of Evie.

"It seems only fair to aid you in return, when you help us first." Evie agreed, finding nothing wrong with what you said- it was logical. "We'd be glad to lend a hand, whenever you need it." It was fair, an even deal, she saw that easily enough- and agreed readily. You noticed she seemed the more sensible sort of person- for that, it seemed rather opposite of her brother... Though that was all first guess for now.

But Jacob, he saw what his sister didn't. He saw that slight glint of mischief in your eyes, the underlying sense of what you truly planned to do- though such a deal was fair and just, you hadn't suggested it because you wanted to be _repaid_ for your services- no, it was something else.

He got the feeling that you had quite a few things planned for he and his sister- though you said nothing of them now.

 _Truly mischievous_ , he thought. He would have smirked in return, amused at how carefree and sly you seemed to be under the surface- he appreciated that at least, because it was something similar in himself- but he stopped himself from visibly showing any liking toward you. He was still miffed for your having forced him to let go and tumble off the roof- and he would be for some time yet. Pride wouldn't let him forgive you so easily, and it sure as hell wasn't going to let him show you that he liked that glint in your eyes- the hidden intent of trouble and mischief you seemed intent on stirring up.

He saw that slightly hidden desire to jest and play with him and his sister in your eyes.

You seemed quite the jokester, for that small moment. Someone very intent on causing trouble... Lots of it.

Harmless trouble, he would guess- but already, 'harmless' hadn't been quite true for your antics- one need only look at the blood staining the sleeve of your shirt to know that.

"... We'll see." He said at length to your proposal. You smirked just a little more,

 _Oh yes, we will see..._

You dipped your head though, and backed up a bit more.

"I'm sorry, but our conversation is going to be cut rather short." You said, for a split moment the disappointment making its way into your voice before you masked it. "I enjoyed our little spar, my dear Frye Twins, truly- but I have so many matters to attend to, and they have already waited long enough." You slowly walked all the way toward the opposite end of the building, stopping at the edge and very aware they had slowly stepped after you. You sighed slightly to yourself, unhappy you'd be abandoning your little break away from work so quickly...

You stopped at the edge of the building, shaking your head at yourself as a thought occurred to you, and then another popped into your mind. You tilted their way, waving a hand at them with a grin.

"Oh, right- I almost forgot. Welcome to London!" You called cheerfully, the welcome was a little late, though that didn't matter to you. "I do look forward to our next meeting, should you need me- I'll be around."

"Hold a moment." Evie called, making you pause as you were about to step off the edge, you glanced over your shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"We never got your name." Jacob told you, cutting off his sister, his voice low, gaze still searching... Oh, you looked forward to seeing him again, and playing with him.

You glanced away a moment, _my name? I suppose I never did say..._

You hesitated, the first sign of uncertainty showing inside of you just then. It wasn't a sort of emotion you felt very often- you were very carefree and quick to act and think.

But questions, especially those of the personal kind directed toward you- those had always been hard.

It was fair, seeing as how you knew the both of them- and since you were intent on seeing them again, it would be in poor taste not to allow them your name at least.

But still, there remained a small twinge of uncertainty and nervousness inside of you- pure hesitation. You didn't like giving people your name, habit you supposed... Part of the job.

 _They're your fellow Assassins... Giving them your name will do no harm... I hope._

To get rid of the sudden mixed emotions and rather uncharacteristic dampening of your usually cheerful mood- you forced a smile, one you let them see for only a moment or two before looking away again, waving over your shoulder.

"(F/N)." You called back lightly, "(F/N) (L/N)."

Without a second to spare you stepped from the edge of the roof and disappeared from sight, leaving the Frye Twins behind you.

Evie glanced toward her brother, smiling slightly. "She is rather odd... But I think I do like her."

"Jolly good for you." He replied lowly, looking away from her. Evie nudged his shoulder a little playfully,

"Come now Jacob, you can't stay angry for long- you did pay her back, didn't you?" She asked, he looked back to her. "I saw that cut on her arm." She explained.

"... Yes, I managed to get her."

"Then you should be nearly even then." Evie said,

"Not nearly enough." Evie shook her head,

"So now all your burning curiosity about her is suddenly gone, because she won against you?" Evie asked, "Because _you_ lost?"

"Of course not!" He snapped back, earning a smile from his sister- who had been looking to rile him up a little.

She stepped away from him, crossing her arms behind her back. "I don't think your interest has died." She said coolly, "I think you're still curious, and eventually you won't be able to stay angry- or keep yourself away."

"And what do you know?" He muttered, turning away from her and crossing his arms over his chest. He places the two notes in his pocket, not willing to read them just yet. Evie smiled slightly,

"I know _you,_ Jacob."

 **.:+:.**

 _Welcome to London_

 _... One hell of a bloody welcome... She tried to kill us._

Well... Not in reality, no. She hadn't tried to kill them, just pretended to be after such an aim... _Bloody woman._

And damn it, he could not get her out of his head! (F/N), why was it she interested him so? Was it because deep down, they were alike? With their wise cracking, love of mischief, their attitudes?

He couldn't put his finger on it- whether or not he'd admit it to anyone, he had _enjoyed_ being her shadow- even despite her not having done anything of real interest. It had been the thrill of keeping out of sight, the feeling of victory he felt when he kept it up for days- he even liked the mysterious way in which she had always been able to slip past him. It only interested him more and more- even now, with the sudden violence, the introduction, the bits and pieces he knew now were not enough to satisfy his insatiable curiosity.

The thrill of the chase, was it?

Over the next two days he couldn't hardly contain himself- he wanted to track her down again, but something told him he wouldn't be able to find her now.

She had mentioned she had _allowed_ him to follow her for so long- he hated she had been going easy on him, and yet he couldn't be angry. He wasn't angry, he just... He just wanted to know.

He wanted to know her, to see her work, he'd already seen her fight and was impressed.

He wanted to see her be... Well, _her_ \- an Assassin. A gatherer of Information. Her true self. _Everything_ about her.

He sighed, shaking his head at himself a running a hand down his face- sprawled out in the couch inside the Locomotive and having long since taken to stare broodily out the window as the city moved by.

A wry smile pulled at his lips and he chuckled lowly,

"Damn me... I'll be obsessed at this rate." He mumbled, throwing his head back and letting out a breath, his eyes closed a moment.

Why he was so interested was still a rather large mystery to him.

His eyelids fluttered open halfway to stare up at the roof over his head, eyes glinting. He glanced sideways, his eyes landing on the two neatly folded pieces of paper set atop the safe just next to his seat- the two notes (F/N) had given him.

As annoyed as he had been, he had refused to read them at first- and abandoned them there, untouched. But now.. Now it was another thing that he was curious about, and so he reached a hand over and took them up, eyes narrowed.

".. Hmm... I wonder..."

 **.:+:.**

 **Bear with me, setting things up can be a bit slow but it will pick up rather soon! Promise! ^^**

 **As always, thank you for reading!**

 **I always appreciate votes and comments! :D**


	4. Chapter 3- Beginnings Of A Game Of Chess

_London, 1868- Lambeth_ _Borough_

 _"Its_ _all_ _a_ _game, Mr. Frye-_ _you_ _as_ _the_ _king, followed_ _by_ _your_ _knights_ _and_ _your_ _rooks-_ _I_ _am, naturally-_ _the_ _queen- with_ _my_ _own_ _rooks_ _and_ _pieces_ _to_ _play_ _and_ _pawn_. _The_ _difference is your choice_ _of_ _sending_ _your_ _pieces_ _out_ _in_ _the_ _open, laying_ _your_ _hand_ _bare... I_ _like_ _to_ _keep_ _my_ _cards, and my pieces in_ _the_ _dark_ _until_ _the_ _very_ _last_ _moment."_

 **.:+:.**

 _'The Leader of the Lambeth Borough is not like your regular Gang Leaders- who usually stay locked up within their fortresses, hidden in the deep corners of their districts and remaining unseen until they need to make an appearance. Cletus Strain is not afraid to face you, and will actively pursue you should you make enough fuss in Lambeth._

 _If you were looking to draw him out quickly- may I suggest assassinating Ada Cobleigh_ _and_ _her_ _brother_ _Clyde-_ _otherwise_ _known_ _as_ _the_ _Lambeth_ _Bullies. I_ _believe_ _they_ _already_ _have_ _targets_ _on_ _their_ _heads-_ _as_ _per_ _Henry_ _Green's_ _request. Cletus_ _is_ _fond_ _of_ _these_ _two-_ _as_ _they_ _seem_ _to_ _enjoy_ _maiming_ _and_ _gutting_ _as_ _much_ _as_ _he_ _does. Kill_ _them, and_ _he_ _may_ _just_ _make_ _an_ _appearance-_ _giving_ _you_ _the_ _perfect_ _chance_ _to_ _strike_ _him_ _down._

 _If_ _he_ _doesn't- just_ _go_ _about_ _killing_ _his other_ associates _(those_ _you_ _haven't_ _already_ _done_ _away_ _with_ _of_ _course),_ _destroying_ _his_ _business, and_ _sending_ _his_ _compatriots_ _away_ _with_ _Frederick_ _Abberline-_ _anything_ _and_ _everything_ _you_ _can_ _do_ _to_ _muck_ _up_ _his goings. He's_ _sure_ _to_ _eventually_ _seek_ _you_ _out, and_ _make_ _enough_ _noise-_ _you'll_ _start_ _a_ _war, which_ _works_ _nearly_ _just_ _as_ _well._

 _A bit on Cletus- for when you meet him- he seems to have a bit of a notch loose- sadistic, mad, whatever you'd prefer to call it. He's been known to play games with his victims, maiming and torturing before gutting them- he has no morals outside his own twisted ones, and will not hesitate to try and gut you._

 _I wouldn't expect him to be particularly hard to kill, at least- as long as you keep your wits about you. Given your previous exploits in WhiteChapel, I would say your odds against him are favorable- just don't get cocky._

 _Best_ _of_ _luck_ _in_ _your_ _ventures, Mr. Frye._

 _~ (F/I)_

 _... - Ah, another_ _note_ _Jacob-_ _Cletus_ _is_ _fond_ _of_ _using_ _Smoke_ _Bombs, best_ _not_ _to_ _be_ _caught_ _off_ _guard.'_

In neatly written script was the afore mentioned message he found to be on the note that (F/N) had given him in regards to his 'crusade', as she had put it.

In his terms, it was advice on his dealings trying to claim Lambeth from the Blighters- a venture he had been dedicating his time to since just before ever catching notice of the woman at all. Dealings, as it would seem, she was well are of already.

Well informed, isn't she?

He smiled to himself as he crouched on an overhang securely situated in the Cobleigh siblings territory. He slipped the note back into his pocket, feeling the other inside of it graze his fingers. He had yet to look that one over- nearly immediately upon reading the one detailing Lambeth and it's Blighter issue, he had set out to try and remedy it.

He would look at it later- probably after taking care of the rest of his business in Lambeth. He mat even attempt to track (F/N) down.

His smirked and stepped forward, eyes scanning the area as he tapped into those senses at the edge of his mind- trying to locate the Lambeth Bullies from the rest of the rabble. As per Henry's instructions, he wasn't to allow them to kill any more than 2 civilians in the area- that in itself called for haste, and it'd be better to not waste his time on anyone but his targets.

He lightly moved between the rooftops, catching a inkling sense of his targets somewhere farther into their territory- the close building making traveling undetected that much easier.

He ducked below the top of the roof, seeing a sniper standing along the platform attached to the edge- her back turned to him.

A quick snap a knife to the bottom of her skull and she slumped over, the gun clanking against the roof tiles and blood spilling.

He lightly made his way over the roof tiles, not even glancing down at the gore he had created and attention focused to those who he was after- a shimmer of gold catching his attention as he caught sight of two people dressed in red making their way around a line of frightened people, sneering as they flashed their knives and threatened to start cutting.

"Well well... There you are." He smirked, twirling his kukri in his hand absentmindedly.

 _'Do_ _not_ _allow_ _either_ _of_ _the_ _siblings_ _to_ _kill_ _more than 2 civilians, Mr. Frye.'_

"As you wish Greenie."

He took note of the patrolling other Blighters in the area, counting out about a few dozen or so apart from his targets.

Ada strolled up toward a cowering man in rags, the gleam of her blade in hand as her brother stood just beside her, smiling as wickedly as his sister was.

"N-no... Please... I-i dont... I don't wanna die..." The mam whimpered, pitiful really. She smiled wickedly, raising her blade.

"Go on, plead! I oh so love it when they beg." Ada sneered,

"It only makes it much more fun guttin' them, eh sister?" Clyde chuckled darkly.

Jacob frowned slightly, as he drew his hand into his pocket and pulled a smoke bomb out, tossing it a few times in his fingers before tossing it directly in front of Ada and Clyde, the area suddenly engulfed in a thick gray sheet as he jumped down from the low bearing roof, rolling as his feet hit the stone and submerging himself into the smoke without hesitation. The yells and shouts of those caught in the surprise rung around, their coughs and words nearly drowned by the hiss of the smoke.

The sudden interruption caused Ada to pause in her intended mutilation of the man held in her grasp- the rest of the frightened civilians took the sudden smoke as chance to run for their lives.

"What the bloody hell...?!"

Jacob shoved aside a Blighter planted in his path toward the siblings, his blade raising as he stepped up beside Clyde- who had turned around as if anticipating someone coming up to them. Without any vision, his eyes filled with tears from the smoke- he wasn't ready to block the blow that Jacob sent his way.

The younger Frye lodged his kukri into the chest of Mr. Clyde Cobleigh, blood spurting up from the wound and the sound of muscle and bone snapping- Clyde let out a pained yell as Jacob ripped his blade back out, a river of crimson rising up Clyde's throat as he fell to his knees, and moved no more.

Ada whipped about at the sound of her brother's cry, completely forgetting about her intended mutilation of the man in her grasp- who fell backward and scrambled away as quickly as he possibly could. Through the lessening haze she picked out Jacob's form, stepping the small distance between them and raising her blade- her face twisted into utter rage and anger.

"You damned bastard!"

Her words suddenly cut off as Jacob's hand swung up toward her throat too fast for her to even begin to think about reacting. The _shing_ of his hidden blade sliding from its sheathe sounded before the squelch of blood rose up and her throat ran red under his touch, the warmth and stickiness of the liquid gracing his fingers. Her blade clattered to the ground beside her as the light began to fade from her eyes.

"This is a calling card, Ms. Cobleigh- from the Rooks. You and you're Blighters are finished in Lambeth. Do tell your brother hello for me on the other side, won't you?" He smirked, as he let the blade retract and pulled away from her throat.

"You bloody baggart!"

"You're gonna pay for that!"

Jacob sighed slightly, hearing the rest of the Blighters begin to come to their senses as the smoke cleared entirely, and revealed him splashed in crimson with the bodies of Lambeth's Bullies at his feet. He twirled his kukri at his side, turning toward the numbers amassing around him and smirking.

He let out a short, loud whistle that rung on the air- leaving the Blighters in a small state of confusion.

"Fight if you wish, gents. Lambeth is going to be property of the Rooks- you have a choice though. Fight us, and die. Or, join us, follow me as a member of the Rooks as we retake London, for the good of everyone in it."

As he said the words the space around him began to trickle in green as his whistle brought forward the Rooks he had left waiting in hiding as he finished off the two leaders. His followers filled in around him, guns cocking and blades shinning in the early afternoon sun overhead. The Blighters started to back away, seeing they were quickly outnumbered.

"What'll it be, gents?"

 **.:+:.**

What a bloody, _terrific_ massacre.

You remained still, crouching on the end of an overlooking beam just across the street from the sight of Mr. Frye's exploits.

You hadn't been planning to drop by Lambeth today... But the sudden stench of blood and the fury of rage and anger as the Rooks battled the Blighters had caught your attention- drawing you closer and closer to the man you had told yourself not to get too close to, too soon. It wasn't good to give into your fancies too often, they distracted from your duties- but the blood shed, the atmosphere of murder and death... It was addicting, though you'd never admit it to anyone.

Your inner Assassin you supposed... Though the Brotherhood worked to keep evil at bay and the innocent safe, there were those among the Assassins who did their jobs more than for a sense of justice. It wasn't always morality, sometimes you just liked the excitement of battle, the sight of blood, the rush killing someone could bring.

It was something you enjoyed quite a bit.

Jacob's propensity for stirring up trouble and turmoil in London was one of the reasons you yourself was very interested in him. You rather liked how brash he was, and enjoyed how he jumped in and willingly stirred trouble instead of sticking to the shadows and staying away from the light of day like most Assassins chose to.

The area around the (now used to be) territory of the Lambeth Bullies- Clyde and Ada was now a battlefield. You could see their bodies slumped among many others need where the battle was. The cobblestone ran red with the blood spilled, the air rang with shouts and shots fired off from Blighters and Rooks alike. Jacob and his Rooks had the upper hand, but the Blighters were fighting back valiantly... So much death, the bodies lying about, the pain, the carnage, the burning passion of conflict.

The way he continued to smirk as he tore through the ranks continually, all skill he had accumulated over years of training suddenly clear as he evaded and countered blow after blow. As he sent Blighters to their final rests one after the other before striking out at the next nearest one, the chain of moving and spinning in between wriggling bodies, the slicing, the cutting, the jabbing and the stabbing. Those Blighters were very outmatched- but even sheer numbers could prove a challenge.

Which was clear- even from your perch you could see Jacob and his Rooks bleeding and bruised. They had taken hits, as to be expected- but even that was nothing to them in the rush of the fighting.

You took a little pleasure in the idea that Mr. Frye had taken your advice in targeting the Cobleigh Siblings in order to get to Cletus. You enjoyed the idea he had listened to you- and the idea that you'd had a small part in stirring the conflict here now.

Seeing how many Blighters kept amassing in the area so quickly- you could only assume your reasoning behind telling Jacob to kill the siblings was very likely to hold weight.

Jacob certainly seemed to have a knack for causing a riot.

Your attention snapped from watching Jacob in his heated bloodshed toward the carriage that slammed to a halt just below you, immediately interested in the several others filled with more reinforcement's for the Blighters.

Your eyes narrowed, your body tensing slightly as a small inkling of tenseness and danger fell over you a moment, small flashes of red dotting the edges of your vision as you focused on the carriage- and more specifically on whoever was inside of it.

Your fingers gripped about the small knife in your hand a little more tightly as a large, bulky man jumped from the carriage, humming to himself a tune, a most dark and malicious look on his face as he turned toward the conflict.

 _Cletus..._

"Ms. (L/N)?"

Your attention snapped to the sudden voice and the sound of footsteps over the roof behind you, though your eyes never left the new arrival of Cletus, not even for a moment.

You recognized the voice immediately, knowing that if you turned you'd see a young man in simple dress, his hat trimmed in silver and bearing a strange marking of the same color on his shoulder- that of a tower wrapped in scrolls. With his fair brown hair and young face, and quiet hazel eyes- his lip bearing a small scar. You were well used to the sight, and knew his look without even needing to physically see him.

You payed no mind and simply raised a hand, signaling for him to stay put and quiet a moment. You'd been expecting him of course, but now your attention was far from your previous duties.

"You're going to have to excuse me for awhile, Hector." You said calmly, climbing to your feet and twirling your knife once in your hand, eyes still remaining fixed to Cletus as he moved over toward the battle, his new swath of Blighters around him.

 _You_ _shouldn't_ _be_ _interfering._

 _Is_ _that_ _not_ _part_ _of_ _my_ _duty_ _here_ _in_ _London, however?_

 _You_ _should_ _stay_ _away, let_ _Mr. Frye_ _handle_ _his_ _own_ _business._

 _But_ _Cletus_ _is_ _some_ _of_ _my_ _business._

 _Not_ _anymore._

 _And_ _what_ _of_ _Jacob? Is_ _he_ _of_ _no_ _concern_ _to_ _me?_

 _He_ _shouldn't_ _be._

 _But_ _he_ _is-_ _as_ _a_ _fellow_ _Assassin._

 _Is_ _that_ _really_ _all_ _of_ _it?_

You smiled slightly at yourself, the rational and irrational side of your mind battling with one another.

You were meant to only meddle in things that needed your true and immediate attention. You were meant to collect information and pass it along- and to stay away from gaining yourself attention while doing it. You weren't supposed to involve yourself in true conflict, let yourself be seen and draw too much attention. You weren't supposed to meddle in the business of others unless you really needed to... Jacob may not really need your help here, but at the same time you paused.

Cletus... Well, he was on your list.

 _I_ _simply_ _want_ _to_ _see_ _what_ _happens._

 _You_ _won't_ _sit_ _still, you_ _know_ _that._

 _Maybe_ _not... But_ _he_ _won't_ _see_ _me. He_ _doesn't_ _need_ _to._

You twirled the knife again and smirked,

"But I very much wish to see how this goes. I'll find you once Cletus lies dead." You glanced over your shoulder for a fleeting moment, seeing the surprise and confusion on Hector's face.

You looked away and swiftly climbed down, from hand hold to hand hold before your feet hit the street- and you slunk across to the other side, avoiding being noticed by those rushing toward the battle, your attention remaining fixed to Cletus- easily able to pick him out for the words he continued to mumble under his breath.

 _There_ _is_ _no_ _need_ _for_ _Mr. Frye_ _to_ _know_ _I_ _was_ _ever_ _here._

You slipped down an alleyway close to the area of bloodshed, sprinting and jumping up boxes before grasping onto a beam spanning the alleyway, making your way toward the top of the building and over to the edge, searching again and immediately finding Cletus as he entered the field.

Jacob noticed the arrival of Lambeth's leader immediately, you noted. His keen eyes making their way through the turmoil and the movement to lock on to the same man you so intently gazed toward.

Something raw and powerful inside of you shouted at you to toss the knife toward Cletus, lodge it into his spine and swoop down to finish him with a killing blow. There was a sudden rise of anger and hatred toward the man inside of you, the sort of pure emotion you usually wouldn't allow yourself to feel- for good reason.

It wasn't that Cletus was on your list of people to watch and collect information on. Those people didn't elicit such strong emotion from you, ever.

The anger and rage you had kept hidden away inside of you, the emotions trying to tear toward the surface, these were different. They were driven by something different entirely and you couldn't remember the last time you felt yourself getting so worked up, so fast.

You growled a little as you pressed your thumb against the edge of the knife you had on hand- the rational side of you fighting to win over the sudden surge and bloodlust building deep inside.

You could not let such emotions run free. It was bad for business.

Your scarlet blood dripped from the edge of the knife, splattering against the roof tiles as the blade split the flesh on your finger, and the anger rising inside suddenly simmered down with the pain.

You could not act rashly.

But oh, you wanted to...

"So you're the bugger stickin' his nose in places ya don't belong?" Cletus' voice rose above the rabble and the shouting. Jacob pulled his blade from the chest of his latest victim and turned toward the direction of the Lambeth Borough Master, eyes narrowed and glinting as he started to walk toward him.

"You and you're damned Rooks have been a big pain in my arse." Cletus hissed, continually tossing a smoke bomb in his hand. "And now I see you've gone and killed my two favorites."

"I had hoped it would draw you out, Cletus." Jacob called, smirking slightly. "I heard word that you were fond of those two." Cletus narrowed his eyes at Jacob, the smoke bomb falling into his palm and laying still.

"And where did you hear that?" Cletus growled,

"A friend." Jacob replied easily, the reply catching you slightly off guard a moment.

Friend?

He didn't think that... He just said it to piss Cletus off. Cheeky man.

None the less you couldn't help but smirk slightly, before it faded and you felt Cletus was about to move- an unexpected tenseness overcoming you a moment.

Not that you weren't sure Jacob couldn't handle himself, you were sure he could. He had managed to strike you in your small brawl against him, which was no easy thing for anyone to do.

It was just that you knew Cletus, and you knew there was a screw loose in that head of his. And sometimes it was the screwy ones you had to be wary around.

 _No interrupting!_

 _Don't have to tell me twice... I know, I know..._

You shook your head slightly, perhaps you had a screw loose yourself.

"Pity your 'friend' didn't have the decency to warn you against sticking your nose in my business." Cletus growled, earning an amused smile from Jacob, not all att perturbed by the threat.

"Prepare to die, boy!"

The area was completely swathed in smoke, too much for a single bomb- Cletus must have thrown two or three all at once. Your eyes narrowed as you scanned the area below you, the Blighters and the Rooks stumbled from the smoke, coughing and spluttering as they abandoned all conflict for a moment or so. Your eyes remained fixed to the swirling mass of gray and white, trying to catch sight of Cletus and Mr. Frye alike.

You closed your eyes a moment, hearing the hiss of Cletus throwing down a few more bombs to thicken the cover.

You hoped Jacob had been prepared for the tactic, you had warned him- and knew very well Cletus used smoke as a cover to disorient his victims, slow them down, and he struck hard and fast- _brutally_. Jacob must use Smoke Bombs himself, so he should be fairly used to fighting in such conditions.

You hoped that was the case, for his sake. You weren't going to allow yourself to jump in, he was on his own.

But you wanted to watch none the less.

You went still, your eyes shut and breathing slowing down to almost nothing. All your focus went to searching yourself deeper, to concentrating on one of the things that made Assassins true Assassins... Something not everyone in the Brotherhood was privy to.

Your eyes opened slowly, the noises of the world seemingly dimming around you as the world swathed itself in grey- the smoke ceased to hinder your vision as the faintly glowing crimson visage of Cletus became clear to you, and the faint turquoise glow of Jacob as well.

You smiled just a little, to see Jacob wrestling with Cletus furiously. His fist swung out to catch Cletus across the jaw, sending the man stumbling backward.

Jacob advanced, slamming a fist into the man's stomach and beating him over and over again, wearing him down and stabbing amd slashing where he could. Cletus managed a few hits of his own, fairly matched with Jacob as he landed blows after the beating he kept enduring. You would have said Jacob had the upper hand, but not before your focus switched from him- toward the red figure of another Blighter near the edge of the smoke- gun raised and attention most assuredly locked to Jacob, whose eyes never left Cletus.

 _ **BAM!**_

You winced as the shot rung on the air, eyes widening a little to see Jacob swing around, letting a small shout of pain escape his lips before grasping into his arm tightly, teeth grinding at the pain of the ball tearing the flesh. One of his Rooks swept up behind the shooter, his gun raised to the head and firing off a single shot before they fell dead.

You _knew_ that hurt, like hell.

And Cletus took the opportunity straight away, the gleaming of his own blade as he swept up behind Mr. Frye and lift it- looking to plunge the end into his back while the pain of getting shot distracted him for a moment. Cletus' face pulled into a twisted grin as a darker glint came into his eyes, a look you recognized nearly too easily.

Your body went still, eyes narrowed and body tense. Things had turned in a moments time, the table turned- and you hadn't been expecting it- and neither had Jacob.

 _You_ **_cannot_** _interfere!_

 **.:+:.**

 _ **BAM!**_

He heard the shot ring out but it was too late to try and move out of the bullet's path, at least- not entirely. What little movement he managed landed the ball in the top of his right arm, tearing the flesh away and destroying his coat as his blood fell to join the already running red street.

Pain seared through him and the world around him whirled a moment, the impact knocking him off balance and making him spin, he grasped the arm, teeth gritted and hissing under his breath.

He had been faintly aware of that Blighter aiming toward him- but failed to react in time to avoid the shot. He took small solace in the fact he heard a second shot go off- and knew one of his Rooks had done what he would have, and killed the bastard.

A swell of anger rose inside of him, knowing he had the upper hand and suddenly- all the fast paced movement and skill he had been throwing every which way was suddenly gone. His flow of movement had been completely shattered, and his edge over Cletus disintegrated.

He didn't realize just how quickly he had lost his footing in the battle until the hair on the back of his neck began to stand, and a sudden seriousness fell over him, making his heart leap a little. His ears caught onto the low, menacing chuckle that Cletus let out, knowing there was a twisted grin on the man's face as he stepped toward him- as Cletus lift his blade and prepared to strike him down before he had time, or enough sense to trun around, or try to evade the blow.

A blow that would hurt more than the shot in his arm, a blow that would probably kill him.

"Looks like yer lucks run out ya bloody bastard!"

Jacob turned just in time to see Cletus nearly on top of him, knowing he was about to be in for a world of pain- but Cletus _stopped_ suddenly.

The man let out painful yelp as he stumbled, forgetting about his endeavor of attempting to kill Jacob- his arm fell as he tried to reach around, searching for whatever had seemed to set him off as he stumbled, almost drunkenly. The man's eyes went wide, lighting up in pure pain and sudden shock- Jacob's brows furrowed together, unsure what had happened to cause such a sudden turn in events...?

His eyes immediately landed on the glint of a blade lodged into the base of Cletus' back, the fabric of his shirt running a shiny crimson from the expertly thrown blade- it seemed to have punctured some valuable organ and was bleeding profusely enough to immediately be sending Cletus off balance.

 _Where in the hell... Did that come from...?_

"The... Bloody... Ell...?" Cletus gasped, still grasping at the blade futilely, fingers flailing.

Jacob snapped himself from his shock, bringing his kukri up and advancing- at least now he had enough sense to move while he had the chance, one _given_ to him it would seem.

Whatever, or whoever threw that knife... They had kept him from getting a blade to the back.

 _How fortunate... Could it have been one of my Rooks?_

He pushed the question from his mind and swiftly brought his kukri forward, plunging the blade into the chest of Cletus, while also shoving his hand and his Hidden Blade into his throat with tremendous force- pulling both blades from the man as he shoved backward and fell to the stone, letting out one last sigh of pain, his eyes lighting in terror and rage- before he was still.

Jacob stopped a moment, noticing faintly those left of the Blighters started to flee with the death of Cletus. He continued to hold his injured arm, hardly perturbed by the blood covering nearly every inch of his person. His eyes remained fixed to Cletus as he slowly dropped down into a crouch, moving the man aside slightly to retrieve the small blade sticking from his back.

It was not unlike the ones that he and his sister used, those small, sharp blades they used to throw and catch enemies off guard and unawares. The only difference was the sharpness of the blade, of the dark hue of the metal. It was light in his hand, and the edge was so fine he felt he'd cut himself simply tapping it.

His dark gaze moved from the knife as he turned to sweeping the area, trying to pinpoint precisely where it could have come from. Whoever had thrown it had done so with purpose, with skill. They were quick, they were precise- easily able to hit Cletus as he had been moving rapidly, and clearly whoever it had been had quite the bit of skill.

But who? And why? To save him perhaps...?

His eyes narrowed, first scanning the street, then the dark corners, and then the rooftop.

He let out a small 'hmm', slowly standing up and running his finger along the broad end of the blade absentmindedly.

"Mr. Frye, are you alright?" A man in Rooks uniform asked, coming to a halt not far from him.

"... Yes lad. Just fine." Jacob replied, placing the blade in his pocket and turning toward the man, a small smile gracing his lips despite his questions swirling in his head.

"Not to worry, Lambeth is ours now." He said, addressing every Rook in earshot.

"For us, for the Rooks!"

"For London!"

"Our Families!"

 _... And to me, my life spared, by whoever threw this knife..._

As the Rooks about him rose their voices in chorus, his eyes moved toward the top of a nearby roof, for whatever reason, of all the places that knife could have come from- it was that lone spot, on that edge of that building... It was almost as if he could see a shadow, a shimmering figure there for a moment before it was gone.

 _Who is it, this knife belongs to, hmm?_

He smirked slightly, eyes glinting in amusement.

 _Perhaps her...?_

He chuckled, quite sure of his answer and very much amused by it.

"... You couldn't stay away either, could you, love?"

 **.:+:.**

 **Comments** **and** **Feedback** **appreciated! Votes** **too! Thanks** **for** **Reading! :D**

43


	5. Chapter 4- Knights Gambit- Or Rooks?

_London, 1868- Frye_ _Twin's_ _Hideout_

 _"We fight for our homes, in the shadows of the alleyways, in the secrets passed between the sealed lips of the damned. We fear not death nor sin, we know what must be needed in order to save the souls of those innocent and pure. We are the warriors apart from the army, the_ _perilous chance taken to save what is ours- may luck be on our sides, our feet quick, and our blades sharper than the swords edge of the words we pass along."_

 _ **.:+:.**_

 _Lambeth... The_ _Blighters... Cletus..._

 _This_ _knife._

Jacob smiled slightly as he twirled the knife in his fingers- that same knife he had pulled from the back of Mr. Cletus, the knife thrown- seemingly, to keep himself very much alive.

And a knife he was very sure belonged to one (F/N) (L/N).

No, he had nothing to go on that would suggest such a thing- it was simply a feeling, and one, like his questions about her, that kept nagging him.

He had no proof that (F/N) had been in Lambeth at all, or that she had thrown this knife at Cletus- but he very much thought she had been there, and had in essence- saved his arse.

He was pacing back and forth in front of the wall in which the known Templars to he and his sister had been framed. Though his eyes traced the portraits and the strings connecting leads and the like- his mind could not be farther from all that.

In his other hand he held a neatly folded piece of parchment- that very same he had been given by (F/N) the day they had been officially 'introduced'.

That in itself was an entirely new mystery, one to add to the several floating about her.

The note, in scrabbled letters- was two words, or rather, a name.

 _'Horace_ _Athernette'_

 _Now_ _who_ _is_ _this_ _bloke... And_ _why_ _is (F/N) interested_ _in_ _him...?_

"Do you intend to stare at that board for the rest of your days, Jacob?"

His attention turned to the sudden arrival of his sister, who had walked into the car without him noticing her approach. He turned to her with one of his usual smiles, slipping the knife into his pocket- an action Evie didn't fail to notice, though she didn't question it just then.

"I'm simply brushing up on what we know." He answered easily,

"And what would you care with Templars? Aren't you too busy starting wars?" She replied lowly, his smile grew a little wider.

"So you've heard of my conquest of Lambeth, then?" He asked and she simply stared.

" _Near_ conquest, Jacob. You've yet to take it over completely." She reminded, and he chuckled- waving it off for now.

"Lambeth will be under the total control of the Rooks in no time at all, dear sister. All that remains is stomping out those who still fight back, they're already down a leader- the rest is simple." He assured her,

"Then what are you doing here?" She pressed, looking skeptical, her blue gaze searching for a long while.

"Taking a well deserved break, before Lambeth is completely mine." Evie blinked, her eyes narrowing a little.

"Is it true then?" She asked suddenly, he blinked, glancing toward her.

"What?"

Evie suddenly reached a hand forward and gripped his upper right arm, face neutral and eyes hard. He couldn't help himself, the wound suddenly flared with newfound pain as she grasped it- he hissed and her eyes narrowed to slits.

"You were shot." She answered, he ripped his arm from her grasp and grimaced, looking cross. "You must be getting a tad rusty, Jacob."

"Who asked you?" He muttered, before pausing. "And who told you?" Evie shrugged slightly, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a hip.

"Its not exactly hard to figure out." Evie replied evenly, "You've been favoring that arm since coming back from Lambeth, and besides-" she gestures toward him, and what he guessed- were the bruises on his face, and the split lip. "-you look like hell, did you even bother to dress that wound properly?" She questioned, suddenly sounding stern.

It had only been three days since his exploits in Lambeth, and his wounds were still raw and aching- especially the shot he had taken to his shoulder, which Evie's grasp had painfully reminded him of. But he scowled, hating being lectured by her and the stern, nearly scolding look on her face.

"Oh, sod off." He muttered, "I don't need you lecturing me, Evie."

"Perhaps you do." She replied, "You're no use to anyone dead, Jacob. Especially over something as stupid as an infection by not dressing a wound properly." He rolled his eyes a little,

"Shut it," he growled, "Yes, I took care of it- now leave it be would you?" He looked away from her. Evie stared at him a moment, debating on whether or not she wished to continue the argument... Before her eyes switched to the piece of paper in his hand, as he rubbed his arm gently.

"And what's this?" She questioned, earning his eyes again as she gestured toward the paper. Jacob paused a moment, he didn't seem as if he was going to explain it.

"Don't you have your own business to handle?" He asked,

"I'm waiting for a report on one of the leads that Ms. (L/N) gave me, I was also expecting Mr. Green regarding the Kenway Mansion- which, as it happens, is another lead given by Ms. (L/N)." She answered, his interest peaked slightly just at the sound of (F/N)'s name, and a little at the well known surname of Kenway. "In the meantime, I have time to spare."

He smirked slightly, "Well, since you've got nothing to do- perhaps you could provide me with some input on who this bloke is?" He said, handing the paper over toward his sister with a cunning smile. Evie blinked at him, before slowing taking the paper and opening it.

"Horace Athernette?" Evie murmured, brows knitting together in wonder. She glanced up toward Jacob, confused. "Who is he?" She asked,

"I believe that is what I asked of you, or are you hard of hearing now, Evie?" He replied, she frowned at the snarky reply but let it slide- for now.

"Who is he to _you_?" She rephrased,

"Someone of interest." He answered vaguely. She quirked an eyebrow at him,

"This wouldn't happen to be that note from (F/N), is it?" She asked, she took the silent stare she received in return as affirmation of her question. "Do you believe tracking this man down will lead you to her?"

"It doesn't need to." Jacob answered, though Evie heard a slight hint of defensiveness creep into his tone a moment.

"You're just wondering what it is she's up to then?" Evie asked flatly,

"Precisely."

 _Dear_ _Jacob... It's_ _almost_ _as_ _if_ _you've_ _grown_ _obsessed_ _with (F/N)..._

She kept herself from smirking at the thought. How quaint... She had noticed how agitated and on edge her brother seemed- and she knew the reason why. It was amusing, and a little confusing all at once. Why it was he seemed so interested in that woman she wasn't sure.

She handed the note back to Jacob and shook her head, "Its better for you to stay busy I suppose..." She relented, though inwardly she herself was a little amused in his sudden fancies. He smirked a little, knowing she had decided on helping him.

"This man, Horace Athernette- I've heard Aleck mention him before. You may try asking him." Evie told her brother evenly, seeing the smile grow wider as he took the note back and placed it in his pocket.

"Then I suppose I'll be paying Mr. Bell a visit." Jacob grinned, Evie nodded slightly.

"Did you not already have business with him involving Starrick's Soothing Syrup?" She questioned,

"Ah, as if I could forget." He smirked, turning. Evie just sighed slightly,

"Do be careful won't you?" She asked, as he turned away and started toward the door.

Jacob waved a hand over his shoulder, grinning still and eyes glinting.

"Yes, mother." She sighed,

"Idiot."

 **.:+:.**

"Mr. Bell, may I ask what it is you're doing?"

Your voice made it past your lips in a low tone, trying very hard to mask the sudden annoyance overtaking you- forcing a small smirk as not to allow a darker look to pass over your face. Such an expression could frighten the man.

It wasn't you disliked Aleck, you found him amusing most days- but his scatter minded tendencies and the way he seemed to stumble and jump between topics... It could annoy you, and right now, that's precisely what was happening.

You were in what anyone would suppose was a 'hurry', and a very big one at that. You hadn't the time nor the patience for Mr. Bell and his bumbling demeanor, and your temper was running much shorter than it usually would.

But you knew you couldn't let your frustration show, you wished to remain on good terms with the man and would hate to make him wary of you for any reason- he was too valuable a resource to have him suspicious of you. In all the years you had known him, and been working with him, he'd remained valuable to have around- and you wanted to keep his company for as long as you could.

You forced yourself to keep up that small, slightly strained smile as to not let the frown growing manage to grace your lips. Aleck continued to dart between different tables inside his home, fiddling with several different tools and bits and pieces of things he was working on.

"My apologies Ms. (L/N), I know why it is you are here... It just seems..  
Ah, confound it...!" He stammered, letting out a frustrated growl as he shuffled through papers, searching and clearly not finding whatever it was he wanted. You blinked,

 _Do_ _not_ _snap_ _at_ _him._

"... It seems I have quite a bit of a... A mess on my hands right now... I did find what you requested... But where I put it is another matter entirely." He went on, still shuffling papers and objects about.

 _This_ _is_ _how_ _he_ _is... You_ _can_ _be_ _patient._

"... Damn those criminals, stealing shipments... I need those cables, and yet they are not here... Where are you, you little bugger...?" Aleck growled, moving feverishly between tables and shuffling through drawers. You stood in the entryway to his workshop, hands folded behind your back and rigid- trying your best to stay calm.

The mutter of criminals stealing shipments and missing cables slightly took interest from you- but your rising frustration with the man kept you from thinking too much into it, for now.

You stood in stillness, still forcing yourself to smile, your (E/C) eyes glinting slightly, your hood lowered to leave your face in view. You knew allowing Aleck to see you put him more at ease, he was not the bravest man you had come across.

"Aha!" The Scotsman exclaimed, straightening up with something in his grasp, his back to you. Your eyes fixed to him, taking a small step forward, slightly relieved his flightful movement had halted. "There ya are, you sneaky little boggle." He turned toward you, grinning at his find.

In his hands were phials of some sickly green liquid or other, some of them in small, aerodynamic needles clearly meant for injection.

Your smile must have fallen, though you weren't sure, your frustration rose to an all time high and you unhooked your arms from behind your back, focused on Aleck and not on what he held in his hands.

" _Mr_. Bell." You said curtly, jaw clenching slightly. Your tone dropped to an even lower, and much more cold tenor than before- and immediately his enthusiasm seemed to fade, finally noticing the frustration beginning to spark from you. "May I remind you, _why_ it is I am here." You muttered,

Whatever he held in his hands, whatever those needles were meant for, or were supposed to do- they were not why you were here. He had gotten completely sidetracked.

 _Be_ _gentle_

Aleck smiled nervously, realizing he had gotten off track, and easily able to see now that your patience was running thin. He slowly placed the phials and the needles back down on his work bench and nodded,

"Ah, no need... I do remember. My apologies, I didn't mean to get so off track..." He apologized and you simply blinked.

He turned and moved to a different table, shuffling a few more papers before singling one out- and turning back to you.

"Here we are, the information you asked about on Mr. Athernette. I haven't had the, ah... pleasure, of his company for a few years... Not regrettably." Aleck told you, handing the paper over as you crossed the small space between the two of you. You took the paper from him, folding it neatly into a small square before tucking it away into your coat, eyebrow quirked.

"I take it he isn't good company?" You asked,

"No, not in any sense- I hate to speak ill of others, let alone former colleagues- but that man, he was always a bit too brash for my tastes." Aleck murmured, rocking back and forth on his toes a moment and patting his pockets, a bit of a nervous tendency you had learned about him over the years. You nodded slightly, brushing a piece of hair from your face.

"Ah, may I ask..?" He spoke at length, looking nervous but none the less his curiosity pushing him to inquire where he felt he ought not to. He usually didn't question you or the things you looked into- he had only mostly ever let you be. But as the years had gone by... He had grown a bit braver around you, and started asking more- though he usually kept behind the line.

You sighed internally, feeling the need to move off grow stronger.

You still needed to send Hector out on his watch... Along with countless other things to be done...

"... My time is short, Mr. Bell." You said, his eyes fell away as he nodded softly.

".. Of course... I've wasted enough of your time as is..." He stepped back from you a few paces, moving to turn away from you before you sighed slightly.

Your hand raised in gesture for him to halt, you hated yourself for this... But deep down, you disliked coming off as cold and shallow.

 _Why_ _do_ _you_ _care...?_

"Let's make an accord, mate." You murmured, he blinked slightly at you calling him 'mate', it wasn't often anyone in London called another that- and especially rare for a woman to use such a term. Even you, for as long as he had known you- you had usually kept to formal address when speaking to him. He blinked in question,

 _You're_ _such_ _a_ soft- _hearted_ _little..._

"I've enough time for one question- as long as you answer a question of my own." You explained, his eyes glinted slightly. "Sound fair?"

He grinned, "That sounds more than fair, Ms. (L/N)." You nodded, gesturing for him to ask his.

"What is it you'd ask?"

"Well... I was just wondering why it is you've taken such a keen interest in Horace?" Aleck started, you'd expected such a question you supposed. "Is he... Perhaps a target? For one of those... Well, less desirable conquests you and your... Organization involve yourselves in?"

You smiled slightly, Aleck was a fool... But not an idiot. He knew what the Brotherhood did, and knew that you among the rest of your company were not opposed to the taking of lives. It was logical to assume your sudden interest in the man would lead to a very, very bitter end for Mr. Athernette.

And that was almost it... Just not quite.

"My interest in him has not come to that end- yet, Mr. Bell." You answered honestly, your annoyance fading now and a truer smile gracing your lips, eyes glinting slightly. In mentioning that growing bravery he seemed to have about asking questions of you, it did not annoy you like it would seem to- in fact, it was very amusing. "My interest- its simply interest. I have reason to believe he has involved himself in some insidious plans, ones that threaten the lives of the innocent here in London. Though I have no proof of any of his supposed illegal action, I do wish to look into his a little further, and start to understand the sort of man he is myself." You smiled just a little more, "If I do find he is endangering the lives of others, or harming anyone- I will decide my course of action from there. But for now, I simply wish to observe and learn."

If you found your proof of Horace and his suspected undesirable actions... You may have it arranged for the Frye Twins to end his life.

Or perhaps you'd do the deed yourself. Time would tell.

Aleck nodded slightly, seemingly thinking your answer was enough... Though you could tell he was itching to ask more. He refrained, fortunately.

"Then I do hope the information I gave you will help." He answered with a small smile, "What was it you wished to ask of me?"

You gestured toward the phials and needles he had previously been holding, "Why is it you were searching for those? And what are they?"

"Ah!" He exclaimed, grinning widely and clearly glad you asked. He turned and grabbed one of them, holding it before him and eyes gleaming.

 _So_ _easily_ _distracted..._

"This is a highly condensed and potent serum of Starrick's Soothing Syrup, nasty stuff." Aleck explained, a small flicker of familiarity lit up in your (E/C) eyes- very aware that Jacob Frye had recently been meddling in affairs surrounding the Syrup...

"A single, small dose is toxic- and enough to send man or woman, raving mad and very, very violent. Effective should one wish to cause conflict from the shadows, don't you believe?" He smiled slightly. You nodded a little, agreeing.

"Indeed," you murmured, he nodded.

"I've also been working to fit then into a mechanism that can shoot them from gauntlets." He went on, picking up said mechanism. Your head tilted slightly,

"For Jacob and Evie?" You said and he blinked, grinning a little more.

"So you know our dear twins, eh?" He chuckled, you glanced away, smiling wryly a moment.

"Oh yes." You chuckled softly, "I do indeed..."

 _... but_ _perhaps_ _not_ _enough._

The thought of tracking Jacob down had occurred to you several times since his actions in Lambeth.

... Since you disobeyed your own rules, and interfered with Cletus against your better judgment.

"Yes, these beauties are for the twins." Aleck went on, you still smiling slightly as his eyes started to shine and he raised a finger, looking flustered again. "Ah! Speaking of which, before I, ah, inevitably forget.." He waved a hand at you in a gesture for you to stay put- seeing as how you were planning to leave.

He started to fumble around inside a chest set away atop the table behind him, you narrowed your eyes, tilting slightly to try and see around him and a little confused.

"I do believe... The Frye Twins are not the only ones... In need of an upgrade..." He mumbled, you blinked. He pulled a few things, and tools out before turning back to you he smiled and gestured toward your arm and the Gauntlet and hidden blade, "May I have your gauntlet, please?" He asked, you blinked and he paused- noticing the look you gave. "The right one, specifically." He clarified, seeing the dual set of hidden blades and gauntlets on both of your arms.

You paused a moment, eyes narrowed. He have you a reassuring smile,

"It won't take but a moment." He assured, you sighed silently and carefully pulled the straps open and slid it off, your arm feeling light and slightly cold once your gauntlet was gone from your forearm.

"Thank you, just give me a few moments to make some adjustments." Aleck said, turning away again and beginning to fiddle with your weapon.

Your fingers brushed your arm absentmindedly, eyes fixed to Aleck's back as he continued to meddle with your weapon, the clinking of tools filling the air and the humm of him murmuring under his breath as he worked. You stood in silence, eyes searching and expression neutral.

"And there we are." Aleck turned back toward you, smiling as he handed your gauntlet back- now fitted with what you could tell was both the dart contraption he had previously shown you, and a pulley system you recognized as the same both Frye Twins had on their gauntlets. "Now you have the grappling mechanism and the darts worked into your gauntlet, pray they are as useful for you as they are for Mr. And Ms. Frye."

You pulled the gauntlet back on and pulled the straps tight, clenching and opening your fist, your eyes scanning over the new enhancements and smiling a little, not a smirk, nor a grin... A small, soft smile.

You glanced back up toward Aleck and nodded to him, eyes glinting.

"Thank you, Aleck." You murmured softly, "I appreciate it, truly." He looked utterly shocked a moment, this being the first time he could ever recall you addressing him by his first name.

"Of course, anything for my favorite goodwill, nightly prowler." He chuckled, his tone light and joking. He seemed pleased you had called him 'Aleck', perhaps he believed that the formal relationship you had kept with him all this time was slowly changing, just slightly. You blinked, head tilting slightly.

"Your favorite?" You asked lightly, smile growing into a smirk. He blinked, looking suddenly flustered as he stumbled for a proper response. You'd clearly caught him off guard, as much as he had caught himself with the reply.

"I mean... Of course, not favorite... I enjoy your... Company and business as much as I do Jacob and Ms. Evie... I... I didn't mean..." He stammered. You laughed lightly and gently placed your hands on his shoulders, smiling slyly.

"Peace, Mr. Bell." You chuckled, clapping his shoulders in a friendly manner before letting go. "I know you meant no offense." You chuckled under your breath and stepped back, your grin never fading as he glanced feverishly between his feet and back up to you.

Aleck was a character, a fool... But an honest one, and he had good intentions though he quite frequently tripped over his own feet. Such a person was rare in London- a city filled with vileness and evil... And lies.

 _So many lies... And secrets._

"... I am... Glad, you understand." He said at length, you nodded.

"Of course- and thank you, once again." You smiled, backing toward the door. "Good luck with your missing cables- I trust you have a plan to retrieve them?" You asked and he hesitated, before nodding.

"Ah, yes! Mr. Frye should be by to pick up his new gauntlet adjustments soon... I was going to ask for his assistance, should he have the time to spare." Aleck explained, digging in his pockets as he pulled out a pocket watch. He flipped it open to look at the time, you had paused just outside the door- hand raised toward the knob, eyes widening slightly at the mention of Jacob.

"And- oh! He should be arriving just about now-" Aleck said, looking surprised at the time.

Your eyes had snapped toward the door, able to hear the distinct sound of heavy footfalls just outside, some foreign sense falling over you- you knew immediately who was just outside the door.

 _How odd... And unfortunate._

You really couldn't stay, and you were sure that if Mr. Frye were to find you here- he wouldn't allow you to leave, at least- not quickly enough to get on with your business.

"Until I see you again, Aleck." You said softly, he had turned away to begin gathering up the things he would be presenting to Jacob. He turned at the sound of your voice, expecting you still by the door- only he didn't seen you anywhere. It seemed as if you had vanished into thin air, the door hadn't even been opened.

He glanced around, looking confused.

"... How... Odd..." He mumbled,

He jumped, the door slamming open as Jacob walked in, smiling wryly as he opened his arms, eyes glinting as he saw the Scotsman.

"Aleck! My favorite inventor, I'm here for my new toys- and a few questions." Jacob announced. Aleck smiled at Jacob's arrival, still faintly concerned with (F/N)'s sudden vanishing. He faintly wondered if you leaving so quickly had something to do with Jacob...

"Ah, Mr. Frye, good to see you." Aleck smiled, "I have your upgrade, ready to be fixed to your gauntlet- if you would just..?" He asked gesturing toward said piece of weaponry. Jacob smirked and easily slid it from his arm, handing it over.

"What sort of questions?" Mr. Bell asked, turning toward his table to start to work. He could hear Jacob walking about behind him, perhaps even... Picking things up from the several tables in the space, fiddling with them.

"I believe you may know of someone by the name of, Horace Athernette?" Jacob murmured, twirling a tool in his fingers, glancing about the building.

"Ah, so you and Ms. (L/N) are interested in the same man I see." Aleck murmured, turning back toward the younger twin, gauntlet in hand. Jacob's eyes snapped toward the Scotsman, setting the tool down. "Funny that- you just missed her, my friend." Aleck smiles slightly, handing the gauntlet back for Jacob to take.

"Did I now?" He asked, eyes shinning.

"Yes, yes... She ran off- said she had plenty of business to get to, and I took up enough of her time." Aleck explained. "But why is it you're interested in Mr. Athernette?"

"(F/N) is interested- so naturally, so am I." Jacob replied,

"Hmm... Well, I'm not sure she'll appreciate you looking into her own inquiries Mr. Frye." Aleck murmured,

"Come on Aleck, old chum." Jacob smiled, stepping toward the Scotsman with a sly smirk. "Trust me, I can handle myself against (F/N), all I want from _you_ \- is what you told her. I'm not going to meddle- at least not too much."

Aleck settled him with a flat stare, hands resting on his hips a moment. All the while Jacob continued to grin slyly,

"Mr. Frye, you and your sister... You've only been in London a few weeks, correct?" Aleck murmured.

"Correct."

"... Than it is safe to assume, you really do not know Ms. (L/N) very well, hmm?" He asked and Jacob blinked.

"And do you?" Jacob countered easily, not sure where the conversation was going.

"I've known her since I arrived in London." Aleck replied. "But no, I wouldn't say I know her very well at all... But I do understand, she hates having people meddling in her business, Mr. Frye." He gave Jacob a pointed look, "She's especially been known to do some... Rash things to those who get under her skin."

It was true enough.

Jacob smiled just a bit more, the clear warning going straight over his head. It didn't matter to him that (F/N) may be unhappy he was looking into her affairs, he was too interested to care about the possible repercussions. All he cared about was sating his curiosity, and to do that- he needed Mr. Bell to answer his question, to tell him who Horace Athernette was and why the ever mysterious (F/N) was after him.

"Aleck, trust me." Jacob smiled, voice light and eyes glinting. "I won't meddle too much- it'll be _just_ fine."

Unfortunately, Jacob seemed to have too much of a talent, for meddling much deeper than he meant to... And what he found himself in the middle of... It reached farther than Starrick, Soothing Syrup, Gang conquest, and everything in between. It reached into a part of London that very few knew existed, the part of the city that you lived in, thrived in, worked in... Killed in.

He took his first step into a writhing pool of secrets and lies... A first step into something that could cost him his life.

And still, to him- it was all a game. The thrill of the chase. A joke, a go around- just simple curiosity, intrigue and merriment.

Unfortunately for Mr. Frye, and for yourself... That merriment would prove to be very, very perilous.

 **.:+:.**

 **Votes** **and** **Comments** **appreciated! Hopefully** **things** **will** **start** **picking** **up** **some** **more! :D**

51


	6. Chapter 5- Piece Set, The Game Begins

_London, 1868_

 _"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."_

 _~ Lao-Tze_

 **.:+:.**

"Ms. (L/N)."

Your eyes turned toward Hector, having heard him walk up toward you in the nearly silent street, you leaning against the wall of a building and twirling a coin in between your fingers absentmindedly.

Your (E/C) gaze was sweeping between the milling figures across the street from you, ever searching for your latest person of interest- a woman, Adelain Hrothgur.

Your attention turned toward him as he stopped beside you, eyes narrowed at his split lip and slightly bruised face.

There was a flicker, a certain fire that rose inside of you in that next moment- _anger._

It wasn't so hard to understand that sudden feeling, you considered your contacts and your employees as being under your... _Protection..._ in a way. And to see one of your more trusted workers, Hector, looking so beaten... It riled you up, though you didn't let that show very often, and tried not to let it become too obvious now- though Hector could easily see it.

"What happened?" You asked immediately. You stepped toward him, clearing the small distance between you two and completely disregarding your previous interest in Adelain. Hector frowned a little, aware that he had interrupted your observations and aware you weren't going to pick them back up.

He knew why you were following her... And was fairly certain of why you were ever interested in anyone at all, though your true motives were never very certain. And he hated to think you'd drop your own worries to listen to him- but he also knew that what he was going to tell you, that would make you angry.

God pity those who made you truly angry.

He sighed, glancing away and refraining from meeting your steely, cold, (E/C) gaze. He knew there was fire burning in your eyes now, and to be honest... Seeing you angry was one of the few things in this world that could make a man's heart stop. He knew your anger knew no limits, and he knew you were always quick to react to one of your workers being hurt- your actions... They could be brutal.

 _And god help that poor fool... (F/N) may not let him continue in his meddling if this would be the result..._

"... It isn't that bad." He mumbled. He'd hate to see him killed for this... It was a misunderstanding, an unfortunate incident...

.. He couldn't believe Mr. Jacob Frye had meant any true harm.

But true harm, that may be what he was in store for.

Your body tightened, suddenly seeming taller as the darkness around you seemed to thicken just about your person, your eyes glinting madly in the half light of the lamps, lips pulled into a taught line and anger rising more.

" _What_ _happened?"_ You hissed lowly, clearly not in the mood for him to be dodging the damned question.

Whatever it was that had happened- it wasn't supposed to. Hector, as in accordance with the jobs you assigned him to handle- he was meant to observe and collect the whispers and the secrets passed along the streets. He was meant to keep his ears open and look out for the specific information you needed collected at any one time. He had a talent for eavesdropping, and an even bigger gift for staying undetected- he was never meant to get himself into open conflict. And he sure as hell was never meant to be attacked, nor hurt- not like this, and not by anyone.

 _Bloody_ _hell... The_ _people_ _of_ _this_ _damned_ _city, they_ _should_ _know_ _who_ _we_ _are, and_ _fear_ _us._

 _The_ _damned_ _fool_ _that_ _did_ _this-_ _they'll_ _have_ _hell to_ _pay, preferably_ _in_ _blood._

Blood lust, you felt it rising again.

"(F/N)." Hector said softly, seeing your anger though to anyone else they wouldn't be able to see that small fire beginning to build in you. "It was... A small misunderstanding. You really shouldn't do anything rash." He murmured and you frowned, unsure as to why he was trying to talk you down.

"Do I have to ask again?" You growled, patience thin.

He sighed, running a hand through his sandy hair.

"No... Damn it, I'll tell ya... Just don't kill him, alright?" He murmured, at the mention of 'him' your eyes narrowed. "It'll be bad for business... And for yourself."

 **.:+:.**

 _ **Earlier that Day~**_

"Well, well... Who do we have here..?" Jacob smirked, glancing down toward the opposite side of the street from the building he perched on.

Helping Aleck had been easy, a few dead Blighters, a new toy, and his cables had been returned easily.

Looking into Mr. Athernette however, that had been a bit of a challenge, what little Aleck had told him had only been enough to suggest he may find the man down near the docks of the Thame.

When he couldn't find his quarry the first day, he set off to completely claim Lambeth as his sister suggested- and as he had said, it had been extremely easy.

Again, more dead Blighters, and the Borough belonged to the Rooks.

Jacob's dark eyes landed on the man slowly making his way through the crowds if the docks, his eyes forward and hands in his pockets- not seeming to have a care in the world, but only boredly moving toward some destination he'd rather not go toward.

What caught his eye about this man- it really wasn't clear. There was a small inkling on the back of his mind, a flash of gold- that sixth sense of his flaring in a moment time as his gaze passed over the man. It wasn't Mr. Athernette, he was sure of that- this man was much too young to be the Good Doctor, but he did seem to be heading somewhere in particular.

Jacob smiled slightly, moving after his new interest, moving between people and keeping his distance- he knew well it did no good to be noticed, and he planned to follow the man as far as he could.

Who knows, perhaps he'd lead him somewhere intriguing... That inborn sense of his seemed to suggest so as a flash of gold flickered on the recesses of his vision again.

The man ahead of him seemed unaware of his new follower- rightfully so as Jacob had made a promise to be more careful, especially considering his innate failure in trying to shadow (F/N). A failure he chose to learn from, instead of brood... Though he was still slightly miffed she played him as long as she had. And still- that thought put another quick smile on his lips before he wiped it away.

The man took a turn away from the water and toward the city, hands in his pockets and eyes glancing about as he easily made his way through the throngs of people swarming past continually. Jacob made his own way through the crowds, gently pushing people aside as he continued to follow closely.

For a moment his eyes wandered sideways, toward the street urchin rushing past the throng of crowds milking about- faintly reminded of the boy that (F/N) had been given a note by- the one that had sent him on this trip in the first place.

He had to wonder how many people in the city were under her control and her instructions...

The man stopped, slowing to a halt and beginning to busy himself looking over the curios provided by a street side vendor- just in the other side of the street running adjacent to the river. Jacob slipped in beside two lads settled in a bench in silence, holding his hands in his lap and hunched- receiving just simple sideways glances from the two- but they didn't argue nor question him.

Jacob's eyes settled on the man, not turning his head to give away where it was he was looking- but enough to keep an eye on him.

"... What can I help you with today, sir?" The woman behind the table asked, glancing toward him as the man smiled, shaking his head slightly.

"Nothing, just browsing." He murmured, "Nice weather, eh?" He asked, looking up toward the woman,

From the angle he sat at Jacob couldn't get a good look at the man's face- but something on the woman's seemed to change. Her eyes glinted in a knowing manner, before she smiled and nodded to him with a small smile.

"Indeed it is." She smiled, "Call if you need anything." She told him, before promptly turning to another bloke standing near the stand- striking up conversation with him as she discussed her wares.

Jacob blinked, slightly confused as go why the conversation had ended so shortly... It didn't seem all that our of the ordinary, but for some reason- the exchange struck him as odd.

He sat in stillness for a long while, watching from the corner of his eye the man as he simply gazed over the table, eyes glinting as he looked at each and every bauble. After awhile he thought he may have chosen the wrong person to tail... Perhaps he had made a mistake, this chap wasn't doing anything even remotely odd. He just seemed rather boring.

.. _Then why do I have that feeling...? And why... Does he seem to glow gold..?_

His dark eyes narrowed, partly in wonder, partly in growing frustration.

 _Bloody good job Jacob... You managed to pick a random man from the street... God, is he going to look at those items for the remainder of the day?_

He huffed slightly, unhappy with himself and the lack of interesting qualities he was seeing in the man.

He grimaced, itching to leave- he nearly climbed back to his feet, when a small, sudden, and nearly imperceptible flick of the man's head caught his eye. He seemed to tilt his ear a little, he hardly moved however- and his eyes never left his observing of the items spread out in the table. Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly, recognizing the small action... It was as if the man was... Listening to something. And doing it in a way as to avoid detection of his actions.

Jacob turned his head a little, eyes falling toward the ground and attention instantly switching from watching the man- to listening to every murmured conversation in the area. If that man was indeed listening for something, he may just be able to catch it himself...

"... What was it Mr. Athernette wanted?"

Jacob's eyes widened, noticing the pair of men standing close to the alley way entrance nearby. One was propped against a stack of crates, arms over his chest and eyes narrowrd- the other, pacing slightly, his hands in his coat pockets. Both of them wore the familiar red garb of the Blighters...

 _Well, well..._

"... Eh? You hard of hearing or somethin'?" One of the men muttered, the one sitting on the crates, looking rather unamused from the angle Jacob sat.

"No, I heard ya. Question is, how does Mr. Athernette assume we're gonna get our hands on all this?" The other man muttered unhappily, "He's asking for things like he some sort of king with the world at his finger tips, like he thinks all this crap is just gonna pop up out of thin air..."

 _Get your hands on what I wonder...?_

"Quit complaining, or he'll have your head." The first man muttered,

"Yes... Alright, but it ain't gonna be easy." The second sighed, "We'll have to bash a few heads in to get our hands on most of the supplies."

"Some of Starrick's factories carry a few of the items." The first murmured, slowly standing up from his seat on the crates. "We can ask a few of the Blighters in Southwark for 'em. That part'll be easy at any rate."

"I'll head off to request the materials here in Southwark." The second announced, patting his compatriot on the shoulder. "You head over toward Lambeth to get the rest." The other grimaced slightly, the name of Lambeth catching Jacob's immediate attention at the District now ruled by his Rooks.

The both of them split apart, Jacob watching them go silently as the man surveying baubles and bits at the counter suddenly moved off as well- following the Blighter who had been decided he would be traveling to Lambeth.

It would seem he found himself his best bets at finding more information out on Horace Athernette, and he wasn't the only one interested- the man he had been following before was clearly listening in, and now he failed the Blighter as Jacob followed them both.

It seemed that Horace was planning something, something he needed a lot of supplies for and help from the Blighters to do it- which meant he was receiving Templar help. Perhaps this was the reason that (F/N) had been looking into him.

 _Well, let's see where these lads lead me to, eh?_

He moved in between crowds of people until his quarry's made their way toward a more thinned out center of the city- and people became less frequent. The factories lining the Thames became more frequent and hungry, penny less children milled about, soot covered and sallow.

The Blighter was glancing about warily, probably very aware that in Lambeth- the Blighters were no longer in control. He dodged down a side street, heading toward one of the factories in which Jacob had liberated a week prior, and the storehouses near it.

The man he had first come across did the same, artfully breaking into the shadows along the wall and fading from sight- all from where Jacob was standing- having quickly climbed up onto the top of the Building overlooking the alleyway. From where he was standing, that first man seemed to have a bit of a knack of remaining undetected, and he was very good at staying hidden in the shadows while still moving quickly.

He must do it frequently, to be so good at it...

They moved up toward the large, heavy doors of the storehouse- the Blighted moved up along the side, peering this way and that trying to make sure no one could see him moving toward it. When he noticed nobody outside the door, he scurried up to glance inside the dusty window- trying to check if anyone was there.

He leans away, seeing no one inside and paused at the door- fiddling in his coat pocket as he pulled out a folded piece of paper, looking it over with narrowed eyes and muttering to himself.

"... Damned this... What the hell could he be wanting to do with all this shit...?" The Blighter growled under his breath, looking over the paper- a list, Jacob assumed- before folding it back up and replacing it in his coat. He walked up to the door, fiddling with the chains and lock keeping it firmly shut tight. Jacob moved toward the edge of the building, just above the man's head and dark eyes glinting.

 _Getting_ _that_ _list_ _might_ _give_ _me_ _a_ _clue_ _as_ _to_ _what_ _Athernette_ _is_ _up_ _to... Might_ _as_ _well_ _take_ _it._

"Sod this." The Blighter growled, stepping backwards and turning to grab a nearby pole, swinging it down fiercely at the chain to break it apart, and pull open the door.

Jacob quickly made his way toward the open skylight in the roof of the warehouse behind him, expertly dropping down on the overhanging beams stretching across the roof as he caught sight again of the Blighter below him, pulling crates open and milling about trying to find what he was after.

He dropped down, his feet making little noise as he strode out toward the Blighter, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

"Oi! I'd like a word with you." He called, the Blighter whipped about, eyes growing wide and glinting in sudden fear.

"Ah, shit!"

Jacob swept up in an instant, stopping the man before he had time to try and run from him. His fist swung our across his face, picking him back up before he could fall to the ground he slammed him into a large stacks of crates near them, one fist bunched with his grip on his coat- his other lifting as he flicked his wrist back and his Hidden Blade slid out. He placed the honed edge against the man's throat, dark eyes glinting in a challenge for him to try and move.

"Well, what do I have here? Stealing things are we?" He smirked, the other man's eyes danced in fear- it took little to realize who it was that had just caught him, the same man that had conquered this Borough not very long before then.

"M-mr. Frye..!"

Jacob shook his head a little, not wanting to hear a half-assed apology or the like.

"You're here collecting things for Mr. Athernette, correct?" He asked, voice silky smooth- it was nearly unnerving. The man nodded feverishly, struggling only slightly.

"Y-yes! But I swears, I don't know what for!"

"Are you sure about that?" Jacob asked lowly,

"I swear, I really don't know! He just sends the lists out! Honest truth!"

"Then you know where I can find him, yes?" Jacob grinned, his blade inching closer as the man's eyes began to bulge in fear, breaths coming in harsh gasps.

"N-no!" He nearly squealed,

"What do you mean, _no_?" Jacob growled lowly,

"We don't... We don't get to see Mr. Athernette! He sends us the lists through someone else, I've never met the man!"

"Lying to me really isn't in your best interests mate," Jacob scowled, moving the blade closer.

"It ain't a lie! I swear ta God, it ain't!" The man yelped, trying to lean away from the blade. "B-but! But..! I... I can tell ya who sends the letters and the lists out... I'll even tell ya where she is!" His eyes were glinting in true fear now, "Just please, don't kill me..!"

"Speak quickly then." Jacob snapped,

"R-right! Her name's Adelain Hrothgur! She's usually running around in London- near the market! You'll find her there, can't miss her- she's the blonde with the scar running across her left eye!"

Jacob smiled, his blade retracting as he clapped a hand against the man's chest a little."Much appreciated mate." His hand moved into the inside of the man's pocket, "I'll be taking this however." His fingers grazed against the fabric inside the empty pocket.

His eyes widened a little, knowing this was the pocket the list had been inside of- he saw him put it there for gods sake.

His lips pulled into a small frown, the Blighters features falling at the unhappy look passing across Jacob's face.

"That damned bastard..." Jacob growled, immediately remembering he had indeed lost sight of that first man he noticed. He'd lost sight of him shortly before entering the warehouse- and somehow, that bastard had managed to steal the damn list without either he or the Blighter seeing him do it.

"W-what..?"

Jacob backed up and swung his fist into the face of the Blighter, the man crumpling to the ground immediately as the younger Frye Twin whipped about and hurried out the front door of the warehouse, eyes burning in anger and agitation.

His eyes swept about the space in front of the warehouse quickly, trying to spot the man from earlier.

He takes off right, rounding the corner of the warehouse and coming out into an alleyway that ran along the side of it- quickly dodging through the urchins and the poor sods withering away in the space, his eyes glinting in anger. There's a flash of gold that flickers in the corners of his mind as the figure of the man swept about the corner ahead of him and our of sight, Jacob sprinted down the alleyway, cursing under his breath as he pushed himself through the mud and sludge that littered the ground about him.

He dare not call out in case he frightened the man and sent him running- knowing all too well that if he lost full sight and sound of him he may never find him again- already having seen him able to melt into the shadows quite adeptly.

He whipped about the next corner, catching onto the back of his target and hissed to himself, sweeping up behind the man at top speed- nor particularly caring if his footsteps were heard- the man didn't start to turn toward him until he was right behind him,

"The bloody hell..?!"

Jacob's fist swung forward and caught him across the face, before he grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the brick wall of the building beside them.

He shoved the man up against the wall roughly, his sudden anger and annoyance fueling him to be a bit more rough than was probably needed, he was always quick to act- fiery as always.

The man hissed, his eyes narrowed as he squinted at Jacob's face inches from his own- a sudden light erupting in his eyes, a bit of blood dripping from his now split lip at the roughness of the hit.

"You bloody braggart! I don't know how you managed to swipe that damned list from under my nose, but that was your mistake!" Jacob growled furiously, anger bubbling quickly at the unwanted interference. "Now, I'll be taking that list back, and I'd appreciate it if you'd sod off. What the hell are you doing, meddling in all this anyway, eh?" He growled, the man blinked at him, eyes glinting in slight confusion.

"Jacob...?" He murmured, looking surprised suddenly, and air of familiarity suddenly igniting in his eyes. Jacob paused a moment, slightly caught off guard at the fact the man seemed to know him in any way. The man let out a small sigh, looking a little exasperated for a moment, before shaking his head a little. "Jaysus... Jacob, what the hell...? ... Ya bloody stepped in it now..." The man sighed, his head falling back against the wall, his body relaxing from his tenseness a little.

Jacob tilted his head, eyebrow raising as he simply stared for a moment.

" _Pardon?"_ He said lowly, tone dropping to a dangerous tenor. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Name's Hector- I'm the man you just _unnecessarily_ hit across the face." He replied, "I work for Ms. (L/N), which would be why I was 'meddling' as you put it." He replied, still seemingly exasperated. Jacob's interest exceedingly peaked at her name, and even more so hearing that 'Hector' apparently worked for her.

"So... (Y/N) has more people other than urchins under her hold, eh?" Jacob smirked faintly, his sudden anger suddenly dissipating as his curiosity began to get the better of him. Hector's eyes narrowed slightly, looking a little surprised for a moment. Jacob grinned as he pulled away from holding the man to the wall and lightly dusted off his coat, eyes glinting. "Now, why is it she's interested in ol' Athernette? She's got you snoopin' about for some reason, eh? So why is it she's interested?"

"... You understand that Ms. (L/N) isn't fond of people sticking their noses in her business, don't you?" Hector replied, similar words as those spoken by Aleck. "... She's not going to appreciate you budding in- especially not now- and as I understand, she's been very patient with you as is. Are you sure you want to keep intruding?" He asked lowly, and Jacob blinked.

"I've heard as such before, yes. But I honestly doubt she'll do much about it." He smirked, earning a silent stare from Hector. "After all, (F/N) is the one who let me in on her little investigation in the first place." Which was very true- she had been the one to provide him with Horace Athernette's name.

"You're wrong about one of those things." He said plainly, "She will do something about this... You did attack me, albeit maybe you wouldn't have if you'd known who I was... And you are new to London, so you have yet to understand how things really work here. But none the less, Ms. (L/N) has been known to act... Harshly, in these situations." Jacob's eyes narrowed, "I doubt she'll care very little you are a fellow Assassin once she years about all this..."

"What do you mean exactly?" Jacob pressed, "What is it I haven't learned about how things work in London?"

"... I'm sure (F/N) will be plenty ready to explain it to you- and if you were smart you'd listen closely." Hector replied after a pause, earning an unhappy stare at the lack of answer. "Jacob... You'd better hope she isn't too angry..." He sighed, Jacob simply stared. He wasn't sure what the man meant- would (F/N) truly be outraged at such a thing? Could she be so angry that he would be in trouble...?

And what the hell makes _Hector_ so damned special, anyway? So much so that him having roughed the man up a little could result in some unseemly consequences? Again, he was landed with much more questions than answers on the ever mysterious and unbearably impossible to understand Ms. (F/N) (L/N). And again he felt himself grow more intrigued, and more impatient.

"You'll be running to her to tell all about this little adventure of ours then?" Jacob murmured,

"If I don't tell her now, she will find out. Nothing slips by her easily." Hector replied flatly, "Besides, I still have a list to give to her." He said pointedly, Jacob blinked.

Inwardly he smirked slightly, while he simply shrugged a little and smiled. "Very well- I expect to hear from her soon then, off you go. Make your delivery." He smiled, stepping back from the man and turning to leave- suddenly so seemingly care free.

He wasn't at all fazed by the clear warning that (F/N) may retaliate rather violently against him for his actions and his prying into the business surrounding Mr. Athernette. In fact, he was very pleased with the reply that she may seek him out after learning of this little excursion. She had been absent since that first time having met her, and so long away from her and left in the dark had only strengthened his growing desire to see her again. Now, this way- she would be coming straight to him, he didn't need to track her down.

The idea of seeing her again, prying her and watching her- it was a chance that made his heart race just a little. Excitement grew in him, and he knew he was becoming obsessed- he wanted to understand her and couldn't help himself- she was just so mysterious, it truly intrigued him.

"And please tell her, I do so look forward to chatting with her again. Perhaps we could enjoy a spot of tea?" He smirked slyly, leaving Hector watching him leave with a silent stare, eyes narrowing at the mischief the man could see growing in the Frye's eyes. Hector sighed internally, the ever optimistic and carefree attitude of Jacob Frye he had heard so much about... He pitied the man, for not quite understanding the fury he may have just promised upon himself. And he pitied the fool for what would come.

Jacob left his sight, Hector slipping away into the shadows and seeming to vanish. Jacob placed a hand in his coat pocket once he was sure he was out of range of Hector, and pulled a folded piece of paper out- smirking, because he had managed to swipe the list from Hector as he had him pinned to the wall. He pulled the note out and unfolded it- his smile dying instantly and lips pulling into a scowl.

"That bloody damned braggart..." He hissed through gritted teeth, fingers clutching the paper angrily. Across the nearly empty page were scrawled two simple words;

 _'Nice try.'_

 _That bastard's quite the_ _pickpocket, isn't_ _he?_

 **.:+:.**

Jacob Frye... That meddling, arrogant, bullheaded _idiot_.

You felt fire burning like a wildfire inside of you, the rage and utter anger building inside of you only continued to strengthen as you swept through the darkening streets of London- your legs taking you toward Devil's Acre, not at all perturbed by the wary glances you received from the rabble of one of the cities mist notorious places.

You knew very well that many of them had the sense to not even think about bothering you- in such a place as this, though they may not know your name or you personally- they all knew, they knew you were not to be touched. The whole damned city knew it- they knew you worked to run things in the shadows as you wanted, and they knew you and your organization were a force to be reckoned with. They knew not to touch you- as they should.

Jacob Frye on the other hand, hadn't seemed to grasp that lesson- you were intent on remedying that.

Hector had asked you not to act rashly, nor violently against the younger Frye, but it was nearly no use- once you truly became angry it was nearly impossible to stop you for any reason at all.

You cared deeply for the people under your employment, and you couldn't let Jacob's actions- whether they were meant in true harm or not- to go unchallenged. It was time he came to learn what many in the city already had- that while the Templars and the Assassins were at one another's throats, and now that the Blighters and the Rooks were clashing for power- there was still one other faction in the city whose hold was nearly as absolute as the Templars.

He'd learn he had no place meddling in your affairs, or the affairs of your organization any longer. Though he was sure to disagree.

You hadn't given him that note thinking he would dig into things that didn't concern him, in all reality you'd done it to confuse and perhaps even drive him a little insane. He wasn't supposed to look into Horace at all... Though you supposed you had somehow expected he would, you just never intended for Hector or any of your people to be caught in the crossfire.

You heard the noise and bustle of the tavern long before you reached it, immediately aware there were several people there already- as there always was, and seeing as how Westminster was still under the hold of the Blighters, the bulk of those in the pub now would most definitely be filled with red. You faintly wondered why he'd be in such a place, but knew immediately Jacob didn't care who ruled the borough or the tavern itself... Arrogant and cheeky bastard he is.

You rounded the corner, eyes glittering in barely muffled anger as they immediately cast upon Jacob- who was leaning against the wall of the pub, tilted back in his chair and feet on the table as he enjoyed his drink. His eyes glinted in merriment and challenge to the three Blighters standing before him, clearly looking for a fight.

You didn't pause for a second, your hand roughly coming down on the shoulder of the largest of the three men facing the Frye Sibling, you weren't about to let them have the fun of going after Jacob- that honor was owed to you.

The man started at your sudden touch as you pulled him back, "The hell?!" He snapped, rounding on you to face your steely gaze and profuse scowl that would send any man running. He visibly stiffened at the contact, his face pulling into a deep frown before he saw the deadly glare you held onto him- his compatriots beside him turned in your direction as they noticed you there. He faltered slightly, seeing the small snarl pulling at your lips.

"Sorry lads, but I'll be having a word with this one." You growled lowly, your tone cool and dangerous. "Now, best bugger off before anything unseemly happens to the lot of you." You snapped, the two others beside you backed up a little- they all didn't like the look of murder in your eyes, and felt it best not to push their luck. Besides, the dark look on your face told them that you may just hurt Jacob worse than they had been planning to.

The man in your grasp shrugged your hand off, the three of them looked dejected as they backed away, scowling nine the less.

"You're not worth our time." One muttered,

"Got better things to do than bother with the two of ya." Another grumbled as they shuffled off. From the corner of your eye you saw a small smirk stretch across Jacob's face.

"Well, well- good to see you again love. Made quite the impression on the three of them, didn't you?" He said lightly, tilting his drink in your direction. The fire burning in you suddenly burned brighter, "I've been meaning to drop by and say hello- pity I don't know where you usually reside. Perhaps we should remedy that?"

Your movements were quick as lightning, you spinning on your heel and sweeping straight up toward him, fists clenching about his jacket and hoisting him up from his seat roughly- much stronger than he had been expecting, as his drink slopped onto the table as he hastily managed to drop it on top.

You pulled him right up to be inches from your nose, a murderous look passing across your face as he blinked in shock- eyes slightly wide.

He was so wrapped up in his own surprise he hadn't time to react to you easily thrusting him over the low railing marking the edge of the tavern, and into the alley running beside it. He coughed as he hit the ground, rolling to his feet and glancing sideways to see you easily jump over the railing and stalk toward him, your (E/C) eyes frosty.

"Listen well, _Mr_. _Frye."_ You growled, uttering his name with such venom it took him by slight shock, as he felt a sudden chill pass over him. You kept stalking toward him, suddenly shoving him against the bricks of the wall behind him, your fists clenched about his jacket and eyes seething in fury. "I have been particularly patient and rather lenient with you- but it is time you learn that there are people in this city that you do _not_ cross. You do not ever cross _me_."

He blinked, eyes glinting as he narrowed them at you- but you were far from done.

"I will tell you this once, and only once. You are not to harm, nor kill, nor interfere with any of _my_ people, or my business unless I give you leave to do so." You hissed through gritted teeth, "You cannot and will not interfere with my organization under any circumstance- if you harm another of my people again- _I_ _will_ _kill_ _you._ You have been given free reign to play the role as the leader of your Rooks, and to embark on whatever activity you see fit- but when it comes to my business, you stay away from it, and take orders only from me. I am your superior, and you had better learn that quickly- and know that if you ever step across the line again, you will be very sorry."

You shoved against his chest roughly, taking a small step back to out some space between you two- your hand reaching up to pull back the buttons of your jacket, leaving bare a patch sewn into the fabric of the inside of the coat, a silver emblazoned symbol of a tower wrapped in scrolls shown. His eyes widened a little, recognizing this same mark on Hector's person.

"This is the mark of my Faction, The Knights Omnibus. I have people working under me all around the city, inside the Templars, the Blighters, and even your Rooks. If you see anyone bearing this mark- you had best steer clear and keep your blade sheathed- otherwise you will have me to answer to." You growled lowly- too low for anyone but Jacob to hear as the clamor of the Tavern started up again around the corner, your fingers worked buttoning the jacket back up and settling a fiery glare on him. Jacob straightened up slightly, still leaning against the wall.

You had afore mentioned you did like Jacob's brashness in comparison with the near non-action of the rest of the Assassins. His temper and his ability to stir things up really truly amused you. But you didn't like other people meddling in your affairs willy-nilly, or anyone harming one of your own.

You had, by all means- intended to have a bit of fun with him and his sister. There were plenty of things the three of you could get up to, and several things you were sure you could manage together. You knew plenty of the Frye Twins to understand there was quite a bit of potential for them both, they were causing quite a stir in the city already- given more time and a little but of a push in the right (or maybe wrong) direction, they could do great things in the city. And you were very interested in helping them along the way, and stirring up your own trouble.

But your previous thoughts and feelings on the matter of all things Frye were suddenly blurred and overshadowed with your blazing, seething fury at him. In time you may forgive, but for the moment- you were having a hard time keeping yourself from spilling blood.

"Do I make myself clear, Jacob?" You hissed, eyes glinting as he simply looked to you, features pulled tense and lips in a taught line- his dark eyes simply searching you in your anger silently. For a long time he simply looked at you, both your gazes held steady and neither of you moving an inch. For the second time since meeting one another, you found yourselves in a sudden deadlock.

After a long while you started to feel your anger simmer slightly, and your mind wandered to what it was that was going through his head. He didn't seem all that angry toward you, nor inherently surprised either... He just seemed slightly pensive.

His lips suddenly pulled into a small, pleasurable smirk as his eyes glinted at you.

"Are we calling one another by our first names now, love?" He asked, smirk growing a little wider- you blinked at the fact he called you 'love'. "So very forward of you..." Your eyes narrowed, jaw clenching slightly. You were suddenly battling with the very real urge to clock him across the cheek, and the urge to smirk yourself.

How... _How_ did he manage that? How did he manage to make you want to smile at that? His smirk was nearly infectious... The glint of amusement and merriment in his dark eyes beginning to wane your anger against your own wishes. You were angry, you wanted to be angry because you couldn't let his actions just slide... And yet, that smile on his face, the cheerful and nearly jesting tone of his voice as he said those words to you, the way he called you love... You faintly recalled him calling you that before now, but for whatever reason... It sounded different just this time around.

 _You_ _can't_ _just_ _let_ _him_ _get_ _away_ _with_ _this... Don't_ _give_ _into_ _that_ _damned_ _smile... He_ _can't_ _grin_ _his_ _way_ _out_ _of_ _the_ _mess_ _he's_ _stirred_ _up._

He smiled just a little more, apparently able to sense you were starting to hesitate and calm down just a little.

 _He's_ _doing_ _it_ _on_ _purpose...cheeky_ _bastard..._

"Its good to see our relationship getting along so well," he smiled, stepping away from the wall, just as you took a step back from him. You simply stared, your gaze borderline glaring. "I'd hate to be in row with you love, especially when we could have so much fun together." He smirked, you let out a silent sigh.

The fire inside of you died to a glowing ember in your gut. How could such a sly smirk and easy going attitude manage to simmer you down like that... Someone known for their undying, fiery temper?

 _How_ _odd..._

"This is not a game," you growled, stubborn to the end- you wouldn't give in nearly that easy.

"Isn't it?" He smiled,

"No, it isn't." You grumbled, "My business is too important for you to go around sticking your nose in it." You growled, tone dropping to a low tenor.

"If its so important, why not let me in on all the secrets and the hush, love?" He smirked, stepping toward you. He lift a hand, pointing a finger at you and smirking, dark eyes glinting in the shadow of his cap. "After all- you were the one who said you were looking to have a bit of fun. I'm all for an adventure with you, you need only let me in on all the pleasure and the thrill."

Your eyes narrowed, he didn't need to repeat the things you had said before- you remembered saying as much to him, that day you had engaged yourself in a battle against the rooftops with he and his sister.

 _"I have so much planned for the both of you. I do look forward to getting into all sorts of trouble with the two of you."_

You let out a small sigh, your eyes finally moving away from him. You felt the longer you looked at him and that smirk on his face, the more chance you'd fall into the clear attempt at cheerfulness and mirth he was trying to create with you.

The embers inside of you suddenly grew cold. _Damn_ _it... What is that? How can he have even possibly... made me calm down so quickly?_

"I for one- am more than happy to assist in your endeavors." He went on, his hand falling on his chest, a sly smirk still on his face. Your eyes fell closed,

You couldn't say you weren't interested in working with him... It just hadn't been your intention to allow him to work alongside you in the matter he had already involved himself in. You hadn't been looking for his help with Athernette at all... But even then, you knew he wouldn't stop it now he had invested himself so deeply. You had the feeling Jacob was just as stubborn as you could be.

... Of course... There was no guarantee that Jacob would follow your instructions even if you did allow him to help you. From what you had learned about him, he didn't listen all that well. You wouldn't consider yourself a patient person, and wondered if you would be able to tolerate him and his actions in such a... Sensitive situation. A matter in which was, in all reality- very, very important to you. You'd hate to have Jacob truly muck it up in some way.

 _Is_ _there_ _a_ _chance... Anything_ _I_ _do_ _will_ _keep_ _him_ _from_ _getting_ _involved?_

 _Not_ _a_ _chance_ _in_ _hell._

 _... Is_ _there_ _a_ _chance, he_ _won't_ _make_ _things_ _worse, if_ _I_ _do_ _let_ _him_ _help_ _me_ _with_ _this?_

 _You_ _won't_ _know_ _unless_ _you_ _try._

 _Will_ _he_ _listen_ _to_ _me? Do_ _as_ _I_ _ask..?_

 _I_ _really_ _doubt_ _it._

 _Can_ _I... Trust... He_ _will_ _be_ _a_ _help_ _to_ _me...? Can_ _I_ _trust... Him...?_

You felt a cold weight drop into your stomach at that thought.

 _You_ _can't_ _trust_ _anyone._

You sighed, shaking your head slightly and pinching the bridge of your nose. There was a numbness, a heavy cold pit inside of you that suddenly burned fiery cold. Uncertainty... You hated that feeling unlike any other.

Perhaps... You'd be best served to just allow yourself to take a small leap of Faith... For a find second the feel of falling and the rush of air around you.

... You simply hoped it didn't all blow up in your face.

You smiled, just slightly at that- nearly ruefully for a moment, still shaking your head as your (E/C) eyes moved back toward Jacob, and the ever present grin on his face. You raised a finger and gestured toward him, a pointed look passing across your face- a firm stare that he blinked at, though his smile didn't fade away.

"Listen, Jacob-" you started,

"So we _are_ on first names then, love?" He interrupted, eyes gleaming. You shook your head, rolling your eyes slightly. _Damn that man..._

"- I may allow you, to help me in my search for information on my current mark. But I need your word- your _word,_ Jacob- that you will do as I ask you, when I ask you to do it. There is too much at stake here for you to go gallivanting off on your own whims and the like. I need you to do as I ask you to, and need I not remind you- I am not afraid of making you listen, understand?" By god, could that smile grow any wider?

"You have my word, love." He smiled, holding a hand to his heart in what you could clearly see to be mock sincerity. "If following your instructions, is what I need to do in order to assist- then gladly." Your eyes narrowed,

Why is you didn't believe his words so easily?

You shook your head again slightly, still trying to fight the urge to smile- his was so infectious, it was nearly supernatural.

"So?" He spoke up, "Where do we start? A little bird told me Horace could be found through a Ms. Hrothgur?" He nearly trilled the words, you blinked. You were fairly impressed he had caught up so quickly, in what little time he had invested himself in the matter.

"... Well, you certainly won't be involving yourself with Adelain." You said in a matter of fact tone, his head tilted slightly. Jacob was not known for his subtly, you thought it best to give him a task more suited for his... Specific skill set.

"... Well that then?" He murmured, his own eyes narrowing at you.

"Meet me at the Cauldron and Stewpot, over in Whitechapel- I'm sure you know the place?" You murmured, (E/C) eyes glinting. "Meet me there, in a day or so- I'll have something for you then, alright?" He paused, and you sighed. "Do we have an agreement?" You said, a bit more firmly- the look on your face was one that reminded him he did just agree to do as you asked of him.

Perhaps he really did plan to make good on his word, or maybe he knew you had simmered down and didn't want to anger you again- either way, he slowly nodded.

"As you wish..." He sighed, sounding a little disgruntled, and you smiled, just slightly.

"Thank you." You said simply, turning away from him.

"Aren't you forgetting something, love?" He called you back, his cheerful and slightly playful time reemerging once again. You paused, glancing back toward him, eyes narrowed.

He smirked slyly, producing a smooth, sharp blade from his pocket- the dark metal etched along the sides. You blinked, immediately recognizing one of _your_ throwing knives- but outwardly, you didn't let yourself react. After all, you had already decided he wouldn't know you had been present during his row with Cletus- you were, however, a little amused he had held on to it at all.

"Hmm?" You hummed lightly, feigning a look of confusion so convincing, that you made him falter a little.

"I think you lost this, love." He said, his composure returning slightly. "In the spine of one Cletus Strain, perhaps?"

You smiled, just the ghost of smirk on your lips for a small moment- before you turned your back on him again.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Jacob." You said lightly, waving a hand behind you as you started off again. "I'll see you in a days time."

He held the blade in his fist, eyes glinting in slight wonder and faint amusement- though you out on a good act, he still just knew... It was your blade, though you seemed intent on denying it. Mysterious as ever I see...

"Look forward to it, love." He called lightly, his smirk still gracing his lips. "You won't be able to keep away... I assure you of that." He added under his breath, just as your figure rounded the corner and he lost sight of you- a part of him didn't like you leaving so quickly.

He was still faintly shocked at the amount of anger and rage he had seen burning so passionately in your eyes upon first appearing- he hadn't seen so much anger in anyone like that before... and for a moment there, he was a little worried what you would have done to him had he not gotten you to calm down. He understood now what it was Hector had tried to warn him about, about your anger. He clearly saw you could have really hurt him- if you had gone over the edge, though you hadn't. You may have actually tried something violent... he'd keep an eye on trying not to really make you angry from now on. He felt he dodged a bullet- and he had no idea how true those words were in that moment. But that hardly bothered him now- he was pleased, pleased he seemed to have enough of a hold on you to get you to simmer down- and now, now you would be working with him. Working with you would allow him to understand you better- watch you work, and act... which in all reality, is all he had wanted to do since meeting you.

 _This is going to be fun... Very fun._

"... so, now the Game truly starts, eh?"

 **.:+:.**

 **Thank You to those of you who followed this story! I appreciate it! Now, in response to the Reviews posted;**

 **To damablanca99: My Spanish(?) is a little off, but I think I got the gist of it! I do hope you continue to like how the story unfolds, and thank you so much for reading!**

 **To SHINeeKey: I'm glad you took a chance and clicked on the story! :'D Thank you for the kind words, I do try to write as well as I can- I've certainly come along way in terms of skill since joining this site anyway! I do hope you continue to like the story, even if you usually wouldn't read this sort of story at all~ XD**

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	7. Chapter 6-Start of Something Awful? Or?

_London, 1868- Cauldron and Stewpot_ _Pub, Whitechapel_

 _"We_ _keep_ _fighting, we_ _keep_ _biting_ _out- stomping_ _and_ _slicing... But_ _in_ _the_ _end, we_ _never_ _reach_ _the_ _head_ _of_ _the_ _issue. We_ _continue_ _to_ _keep_ _hacking_ _at_ _small_ _bits_ _of_ _the_ _end_ _of_ _the_ _Snake's_ _tail, just_ _vying_ _our_ _time_ _until_ _eventually- the_ _head_ _strikes_ _out_ _at_ _us, and_ _then, we're_ _dead. We_ _never_ _win."_

 ** _.:+:._**

You sighed, placing the end of the bottle against your lips and tilting your head back, letting the slightly putrid and strong brew trickle down your throat, leaving it burning.

The tavern about you was swimming in the mixed voices of those having conversation, to laughing and the voice and ring of instruments from the men accompanying the woman invested in song. There was a rather heated game going on in the corner that had attracted quite the crowd, you could see the gleam of coin from the sunlight filtering in through the window beside the table. The sky outside was bright and only dotted with sparse clouds overhead, the morning slowly dripping away toward afternoon as you sat at the bar in silence, hands folded around your tankard and eyes closed.

It could turn out to be a pleasant day... Already, you had abandoned your usual duties into the care of Hector and a few more of your workers. Doing so freed you up for the remainder of the day- as was best, seeing as how you'd have your hands full working with Jacob.

Who- as you mentioned it...

You were immediately aware of someone taking a seat on the stool next to you, their arm laying out on the counter.

"Hello again love, what do you have planned for us today?" He smiled, his tone light and cheery. You sighed internally at his calling you 'love', though you didn't necessarily mind it. You glanced his way from the corner of your eye, seeing the smirk on his face as his eyes glinted in anticipation for what it was you had in store for the both of you.

"Something rather well suited for your talents." You replied easily, fingers curling around your tankard as you shifted slightly to face him better. His eyes gleamed a little at that,

"Oh? Sounds exciting." He smiled, and you sighed internally.

You hoped it wouldn't be nearly as exciting as his usual exploits seemed to be... If it ended up that way, there were sure to be a few... Unwanted mishaps.

You'd just have to keep a watchful eye on his actions, and hope for the best.

You sighed internally however, quite aware that the likelihood of something going _boom_ was rather high for the assignment you planned to give him... You silently began regretting it... Too late to go back, however.

"There's a warehouse on the edge of the Thames, I've received reports that there is a bit of unwanted activity being spurred there- with Blighters and Templars running all over it. It's under the hold of one Adelain Hrothgur, under permission of Ms. Swinebourne." You began, your (E/C) eyes settled on him calmly, "I'd like you to accompany me to the warehouse and liberate it from the hold of the Blighters, and then station some of your Rooks there to keep it guarded when we're done. I'll have some of my people come to move the supplies, as well as work to determine what it is Adelain is collecting materials for. What it is Horace is planning." His eyes gleamed at your words, looking thrilled as a smirk pulled more tautly at his features.

"So we'll be working together then, love?" He said, leaning against the counter with an arm. "Out in the field, getting our hands dirty?" You blinked,

"Yes." You replied and he smiled, letting out a small _'huh',_ the airy note making it last his lips quickly. Your eyes narrowed, sensing not only excitement and a sudden thrill from him... But also surprise.

"Are you sure you're up for that, love? Things can get messy out there."

"... Are you suggesting I may be unable to handle field work?" You asked lowly, eyes glinting in slight irritation. His eyes glinted and your grip about your tankard grew tighter. "I'll have you know, though I usually stay away from confrontation and violence, I am not incapable of handling myself in an actual mission." Your eyes flared for but a minute in pure hostility and unhappiness toward him and the demeaning assumption, "I am most assuredly more field capable than you are, Jacob." You hissed,

He just smirked at you, holding up his hands in a gesture of defeat and chuckling under his breath, eyes alight in sudden amusement at how quickly your temper flared.

And damn it... He did it on purpose. _Cheeky git._

"Simmer down love, I meant no offense." He nearly cooed, "I'm plenty sure you can handle yourself, after all- you are the one that gave Evie and I a run for our money." He smiled, dark eyes glinting in barely hidden mischief. You simply let a small huff escape your lips.

 _He_ _keeps_ _calling_ _me_ _love._

You shook your head a little and looked away from him, bringing your tankard to your lips and downing the last half of it quickly, setting it back down on the table top and tossing a few coins toward the bartender. You climbed to your feet, pulling at the strap of the collar about your neck and taking in a breath, Jacob's eyes never left your person.

He was very, very thrilled to be given the chance to watch you work- to watch you fight and maim... And this time your wrath and skills were not aimed at him in any way. It was simply delightful. He could hardly keep his grin from growing all the wider as his excitement and happiness swelled.

Perhaps this was his chance to learn more about you... To begin piecing together hints and clues to the enigma that remained Ms. (F/N) (Y/N).

And perhaps this was his chance to make an impression on you. Though secretly he believed he already had, and he also believed you were too stubborn to let yourself show any interest you surely had in him. It was just up to him to mull you over enough and peek past that steely exterior you gave off.

"Am I to assume I am free to handle the Blighters as I please in this little excursion of ours?" He asked, noting immediately you hadn't mentioned how you'd like the Blighters or the Templars handled.

You paused, your eyes slowly moving back toward him from admiring the rows of ale and bottles on the back wall behind the counter, blinking once as you held his eyes and the questioning in them.

"... I'd prefer things not to catch fire." You said bluntly, seeing a sudden look of flusterdness in his eyes at that- oh yes, you'd heard of his débâcle with the train he had had shortly before coming into London. "And I don't want anyone getting out to give word to Horace, or Adelain about who it was that is coming to claim the building. They may not know who I am by sight, but it wouldn't be hard for them to come to terms with who sent the order. So... Do what you wish, just don't blow the building up, or let anyone escape who has loose lips." His eyes gleamed,

He got his feet, a hand resting against his chest as he smirked, tilting his head to you. "Just the way I like it, as you wish love. Shall we be off then?"

 **.:+:.**

"... You don't believe Adalein will be here, love?"

Jacob's sudden question amongst the silence swathed about the two of you nearly took you by surprise. Your eyes moved away from surveying the front entrance to the warehouse, leaning back away from the edge of the wall and slightly turning to him, eyebrow quirked slightly.

"... You're just now questioning that?" You replied quietly, all too aware of the group of Blighters huddled around a small fire pit in front of the Building.

He shrugged slightly, "Just seems odd, the leader of this operation not being here to oversee it."

"Adelain doesn't oversee these things... She prefers to involve herself in more important matters." You replied calmly, your eyes moving away from him and back toward surveying the Blighters. Your eyes narrowed to slits, seeing a Blighter break off from the group and move around the the side of the building, huddled in shadow cast from the sun overhead.

"And what if by some chance, Adelain is here?" Jacob pressed.

"I very much doubt she will be." You replied, "... But if she is, she's mine." You said, your tone slightly warning.

"... As you wish, love." He said, though you heard him hesitate slightly. You had the feeling Jacob wanted to lay his hands on Adelain to get a few questions out of her himself... He'd have to refrain, lest he make you considerably angry and annoyed.

"... I'll meet you inside." You said, slipping around the corner and silently making your way across the street, toward the low bearing stone wall encircling the entrance, skirting around the edge of it and out of sight from Jacob's dark eyes in moments. He stepped forward to stop you, but was too late and you were already long gone- he let out a small huff, he had been hoping to stick close to you.

"Damn it..." He muttered, shaking his head at himself and moving out from the corner, striding across the street and jumping the wall, immediately crouching behind a stack of crates and expertly switching his hat for his hood.

He lift his arm and pulled the string back for Belle's dart launcher attached to his gauntlet, his eyes settled on the fire pit and the 5-6 men near enough to be effected. There was a tiny itch at the back of his mind that told him that at least another dozen alone were inside the warehouse itself moving around. For a moment he paused, the shot lined up as he turned his attention from the hysteria he was about to create, toward trying to find any inkling sense of your presence. From feelings of his sister around him on missions, he figured your presence would indicate to him a bluish green, but when he tried to find it... He couldn't.

His arm lowered a little, eyes trailing away toward the direction you had disappeared to. Among the faint glimpses of red inside and around the building, none of them were you. It was as if you ceased to exist... He'd never had that happen before, he'd never been able to fail to pick up someone's presence when he was actively looking for them.

 _What_ _the_ _hell...?_

He shook his head and took aim again, firing the dart into the fire so the glass broke and the gas spread about the area, sending the men in its reach into a coughing fit soon followed by... Laughter and hysterical mutterings.

Impressive thing, that serum was.

Even more impressive when they began to attack their cohorts, the first unexpected blow killing one instantly.

In the sudden hysteria and turmoil, Jacob swept up from behind his cover and plunged his kukri into the back of the man nearest him. He ducked under the swing of a fist behind him, and brought his elbow around into the man's jaw harshly, knocking him to the ground and his blade sliding from the man's body in an instant.

He parried the knife swung out at him by a man waving the small weapon about wildly, the look of hysteria in his eyes and all sense left him.

"The rats... The rats! Hehe... They... Don't... Don't let them eat me! Rats!"

His fist swung across the man's face, sending him reeling as Jacob skillfully moved between two more, slashing his blade across the throat of another and kicking a second, sending said Blighter crashing through a pile of crates and quickly jabbing his Hidden Blade into his throat- though he wouldn't have been getting up,

 _No_ _one_ _leaves_ _who_ _has_ _loose_ _lips._

It was a small mess of a massacre, of betrayal as once friend turned on another in a fit of insanity and hysteria- laughing and rambling about the most deepest, darkest nightmares their minds could conjure up. Men fell around him by the blades and the hands of those who would usually be his enemies, as more fell at his hand- some of them keeling over as they choked on the lethal serum that had sent them into a craze.

Jacob allowed his Hidden Blade to slide from the chest and heart of the man in his grasp, the body sinking to the ground in a crumpled heap as he glanced sideways- watching the last one standing begin choking on a foaming mouth, and promptly keel over.

He took time to disable the Alarm Bell in the small courtyard before the door, useless now that everyone around it was dead- but none the less, might as well, hmm?

He made his way toward the halfway open doorway, peering inside the sudden dim and shadow away from the mid-afternoon sky outside. As he had guessed, there were nearly a dozen others inside, settled on the various levels and moving in and out between the hundreds of stacked crates and machinery inside. His eyes narrowed at the collection,

His attention snapped upward toward the Sniper settled on a high outpost on the second floor, her sights and her gun pointed toward the entrance- and more specifically, _him._

He pressed himself against the door, taking his face from view and hiding himself as quickly as he could manage- hoping the woman had only caught the slightest glance of him. He waited with bated breath for her to call out an alarm, alert the others... He had no qualms going in and starting an all out battle, he would love to do that... But he stood little chance against the Sniper if he couldn't manage to gut her quickly. And getting up to her would take time, and maneuvering through several other people.

He supposed he could just shoot her, but she'd probably see the shots coming.

He spared a small, tiny glance around the corner of the door again, looking to see if he had a better way toward her. Snipers were not his favorite.

His eyes widened in pure shock, seeing immediately the woman with the rifle atop her post was no longer there.

His eyes swept about the factory, seeing if perhaps she had moved to another place- finally deciding on pushing his senses forth in case she was out of his line of sight. And again to his shock, all flashes of red he had earlier felt on the top few floors were suddenly gone completely.

He smirked slightly, making his way into the warehouse and slowly shutting the door closed behind him.

She works fast, doesn't she?

"Hello gents!" He called, earning the attention of the Blighters on the ground floor with him instantly.

"The hell..?!"

Jacob smirked, twirling his kukri in one hand while his other reached about to grip his pistol.

"I'll be claiming this warehouse for the Rooks- be dears and make my job easy, won't you?"

"Like hell!"

"Yer gonna die, you damned arrogant bastard!"

Jacob's lips pulled into a wider, more amused smirk at the angry retorts and glares his sudden appearance received. He was outnumbered, yes- but he wasn't one to worry about such things. Perhaps he was a little arrogant, most certainly he was cocky- but he found their challenge amusing, perhaps even a little trifling. He'd have very little issue taking them on, he was sure of that.

He pulled his pistol out, the weapon raising to his side to tear a bloody hole on the chest of the man coming at him from the left- who fell back with a cry of pain, before lying still in a heap. The sudden snatching of the life earned him furious stares, as the rest rushed forward in sudden rage and anger at his actions- all the while his smile never faded.

He really did enjoy conflict, that one. And he was very good at spurring it- his approach was forward, maybe even a little unwise. After all- should one of those Blighter break away in the fight to warn their Master, it would be a failure to do as you asked of him. You wanted no loose lips running about- though you smiled slightly to have seen him close the door behind him as he entered.

Besides, the look in his eyes told you he was trained to his targets, and he wouldn't be letting any of them slip through his fingers.

Ignoring for the now the sight of Jacob tearing away at the poor fools on the floor below you, you strode through the dimmed upper floor toward the stacks of crates lining the walls. You took a moment to wipe the edge of your blade against the wood, leaving the edge scarlet as the blade slid back into hiding with a small metallic _shing_.

You didn't even cast a second glance toward the figures of bodes slumped about the floor, you didn't feel any regret nor remorse for the blood spilled, or lives taken. In fact, you felt rather indifferent to it- as Assassins probably should... Though you guessed should you mention such a thing you would be frowned upon.

You chuckled lightly under your breath, shaking your head slightly. The shout of pain from below drew your eyes sideways a moment, before you looked back to the crates and bent down to inspect the latch. You quickly brought your heel up, breaking the lock with a powerful kick as it clinked to the ground.

Your fingers curled under the lid, opening it up to reveal a coalition of empty glass pitchers and beakers- the likes of which you had seen in the possession of Mr. Belle. The likes of which would be used for Alchemical work and the like... Which wasn't nearly as surprising, considering you had been made aware that Horace was quite the chemist. Question was, what was he planning with all the equipment?

You took a moment to look inside a few of the other crates- finding nothing more than general goods and bits of metal work that you didn't think had anything to do with Horace's plans. With a small sigh you turned back toward the railing overlooking the floor, you assumed what you were looking for was on the ground level- there was a small flicker of gold at the back of your mind that glowed from that direction.

You blinked, leaning over the railing slightly to see Jacob send a man sprawling, his kukri cutting across the man's throat as he rammed his fist into the face of another. The space around him was littered with bodies he had dropped, surrounded by the few straggling Blighters who seemed very reluctant to advance any longer. You quirked an eyebrow, seeing below you two men dressed in red, rocking back and forth nervously as they debated on striking Jacob.

 _Jacob can handle these two._

 _... But he's preoccupied at the moment. Why not give him a small hand? The faster the Blighters are dead, the faster this excursion is over._

 _Do you really want it over so quickly?_

 _Hehe... Good question._

In one swift movement you hopped up on to the railing, pausing not even a heartbeat before you dropped off over the two Blighters, with deft movement. Your wrists flicked back in midair, the twin Hidden Blades sliding from their sheathes as your dim shadow cast over their persons,

Your hands lunged into the base of their spines as your body weight dragged them to the ground under your touch. Your feet landed on the ground in between the both of them in near quiet, falling into a crouch as they hit the ground with a heavy thud. Dead in an instant.

You got to your feet slowly, pausing a small moment to wipe the blood on their coats before your Blades disappeared again. Your (E/C) eyes moved upward toward the sound of hands softly clapping, seeing Jacob watching you, hip cocked and eyes alight in amusement and intrigue. A small smirk played at his lips, as he looked you over and the skill in which you killed both men- he had yet to see you really work, and seeing even that small glimpse left him wanting more. Behind him lay the mess of Blighter bodies he had thrown about, his Kukri placed back in its sheathe near moments ago.

His small bit of clapping made you blink at him and the air of amusement he held about him- but you wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing your smile in response to his playing.

"Great work love, you really do work very fast, don't you?" He smiled in a carefree, nearly jesting way as you stood all the way up, slowly dropping your hood only once you were sure there was no more Blighters in the building still breathing. The absence of red glow on the edge of your senses was enough to allow you to reveal your face once again,

 _This_ _was_ _all_ _rather fast... I_ _do_ _suppose_ _I_ _did_ _know_ _this_ _wasn't_ _going_ _to_ _be_ _a_ _hard_ _errand_ _to_ _run..._

Jacob took a few paces toward you, you didn't fail to notice how his face seemed to light up just the slightest bit when you lowered your hood- he preferred being able to see your features. Though the mystery the hood added to your person did make you all the more intriguing, he would admit- and he did enjoy that.

 _He_ _called_ _me_ _Love_ _again..._ You kept catching on to it, but never as he said it.

"I must admit though, I was hoping to have more time to play." He went in, a small hint of disappointment creeping into his voice. You sighed slightly, shaking your head a moment and giving him just one, small, faint smile for a moment or two.

"It's not quite over yet," you replied easily, looking away from him as you turned toward the nearest stack of crates that glowed gold in your mind's eye. "Or at least, I won't be taking my leave just yet."

You missed the happy smirk that passed across his face at that.

"Find anything interesting, love?" He murmured, following behind you closely as you approached one of the crates. He leaned against a steel beam best the crate with his shoulder, arms crossing over his chest as your Hidden Blade flicked out, "Anything that gives hint to what Athernette is planning?"

"Not just yet," you replied, "Perhaps there will be more answers in here." You slid your blade across the nails holding it down, breaking them open and prying the lid up.

Jacob leaned over, as you straightened up slightly, eyes narrowed to slits and lips pulled into a tight line.

"Chemicals?" Jacob murmured,

"Of what kind would be the question." You murmured lowly, softly shifting the vials and the bottles of liquids and compounds carefully, your (E/C) eyes narrowed as your head tilted slightly in question. You glanced about them, perhaps hoping for labels as to what they were was asking too much- because none of them held any clue to what they held inside.

 _This is something more suited for Aleck's talents..._

"Care to take a guess?" Jacob murmured,

"Horace has been known to experiment with several different chemicals and toxins before. All of it purely scientific, research... But I have heard rumor he took to testing all sort of concoctions on people." You murmured softly, Jacob's dark eyes glinting slightly. "People who were never seen again, most of them anyway."

"Oh?" Jacob mumbled lowly, "And what of those that did show back up again, love?"

"Nothing pretty." You replied simply, your attention less on him than a sudden sense pricking at the edges of your mind. You blinked, your head tilting sideways and eyes moving toward your left.

Jacob noticed your shifted attention, his own eyes narrowing as he followed your line of sight- seeing suddenly a flash of red in his minds eye, the same that you sensed.

 _But how in the hell... how did I fail to pick up on it, until just now?_

The Blighter jumped when he caught your eyes, looking nervous as he turned on his heel and fled toward a side door to the warehouse, shouting profanities and terrified words behind him.

"God!"

"Looks like one slipped through," Jacob growled, sweeping forward before you could react.

He jumped forward, sweeping past your form, his dark eyes locked to the retreating Blighter with the intent to kill. Your words ran through his head in that moment, ' _Let no one escape who has loose lips_ ' and he intended to make good on that, if not to honor his agreement to do whatever you wanted of him, but to please you. He wanted in your good graces more than he realized.

You stiffened, quickly moving as you attempted to catch his arm as he passed- only to miss.

"Jacob," you growled, he didn't seem to hear you at all. Your eyes swept past him toward the man running for his life, blinking in slight confusion to see his path veer slightly to the right, his foot knocking over a lamp that had been placed on the floor- the oil and flame spilling on to the floor as the glass shattered.

Your eyes went wide, seeing the trail of black liquid leading from the fallen lamp toward a stack of crates nearly hidden in between the shipments of material. They held chemicals and piles of dynamite- all sorts of things that were sure to set of a large explosion, and then a chain reaction that would encase the warehouse in hot, raging fire. Your thoughts snapped to the shipment of chemicals you were near, sure there are many more around you that were sure to catch fire- and probably in an explosive and seriously dangerous way.

That trail was sent aflame in an instant as the lamp was knocked over- seemingly deliberately. The dancing span of yellow and orange spread across the oil trail in an instants time- straight toward the stacked creates of explosives.

"Jacob!" You yelled, your voice rising in urgency. This time he took notice you said his name- and slowed just slightly, unsure as to why you were calling him back.

He was about to glance over his shoulder toward you when suddenly the piles of explosives were sent up in flame, the Warehouse shaking violently as Cargo shipments were splintered and caught fire, bits of glass and splinters and metal work flying around.

Jacob was thrown sideways by the pure force of the explosion, hissing and grunting as he rolled over the dusty and straw ridden floor, coughing at the cloud that had risen. Embers and bits of wood rained over him as he began to slowly pick himself back up, ears ringing from the blast and vision dotted black a moment.

The crate of chemicals imploded next to you, glass fragments flying and a few of the chemical mixtures erupting into gas, covering the area around you in a thick fog. You coughed, spluttering and gasping as you stumbled from the fog- eyes watering and throat burning, knocked off balance by the small explosion that went off near you.

You coughed, hand held to your mouth and a little lightheaded, erupting from the sudden cloud and seeing that fire had engulfed the warehouse nearly instantly- the temperature rising every second. A quick glance showed you the Blighter that had knocked the lantern over was dead- crushed under a pile of beams and rubble that had fallen to completely block his route of escape.

You stumbled sideways, feeling the brunt of another explosion not far from you, but remaining on your feet as glass and wood and metal hits were sent flying, dotting against your coat nearly harmlessly. Your eyes swept about the smoke starting to ride the air, spotting Jacob pulling himself to his feet, grunting and coughing as the smoke entered his lungs.

You shook your head a little, hoping to rid yourself of the sudden blurriness and the way in which things seemed to swirl though you weren't moving, feeling suddenly disoriented and even a little faint.

God knows what the hell sort of chemicals were in those bottles before they became gas...

"Jacob!" You barked, starting forward toward him quickly. From the corner of your eye you saw that the way he had come in was collapsed as well, and the fires only grew more. He stood up, waving a hand before his face to clear some of the dust, dark eyes locking to your rigid and serious form as you swept up beside him- how was it things went to hell so fast?

 _Things just seemed to go boom around him..._

"Quickly now," you grumbled, grabbing his arm firmly as you pulled him around, causing him to stumble slightly at your sudden steely grip. You pulled him through the thickening smoke cloud behind you a few paces, before letting go once you were sure he was following. "We'll have to go up, every exit in this level is blocked." You said quickly, cutting off halfway to cough again, your vision swimming all the more for a moment.

"Well this is quite the turn in events, isn't it?" He grumbled, sounding displeased. "Bloody bastard... He set the damned building on fire..!"

"Leave it, Jacob." You hissed backward, jumping up the steps leading to the second floor. "Now's not hardly the time..." It certainly wasn't, Jacob's heavy footfalls on the creaking stairs behind you told you he was close behind.

"But now you'll lose all the cargo." He went on in a hoarse huff, apparently deciding to ignore you as the two of you climbed higher. "And your clues as to what Horace is planning." He grumbled lowly, you didn't see his face but you could tell he was scowling- temper and agitation rising. Rising nearly as quickly as the fire,

The both of you stumbled, halting slightly as the building and the level you were on shook violently with a large explosion going off below you. Your hand shot out to grasp the railing beside you, steadying yourself as the floor swayed under your feet, eyes narrowed and heart leaping slightly.

Jacob was right of course, in the blaze your lead into what Horace was planning would be destroyed- and you'd be staring over from scratch. It was a loss, a dear loss... And an annoying one.

However, you were much more concerned with not burning to death at the moment- and Jacob's continuing chatting was irking you slightly, where usually it would have probably amused you. Just not right now.

There was a very loud splintering sound that broke above the roar of the flames and the small booms still echoing around below and around you- your eyes snapping to the wooden floor below you, seeing it shattering and starting to rise up in gold and orange.

The floor underneath the both of you suddenly gave away, wood planks falling apart as the metal framework began to tear away from the wall.

You lunged forward, rolling slightly as the platform fell from under your feet and you managed to jump down onto a section of the platform that was still stable enough to hold your weight. The sound of Jacob's heavy body sounded next to you, though he was scrabbling a little at the edge as he held on and dangled over the pit if fire underneath you a moment.

The sudden movement was making your head spin more and vision start swimming continually. You growled under your breath, shaking your head to clear the fuzziness and twisted around, your hand gripping about his forearm- aiding extra leverage to pull him the rest of the way over the edge.

You could hardly see him through the haze of dark gray riding the air before you, breathing stung and made your already (as you felt it anyway) singed airway burn all the more. The both of you climbed to your feet, feeling the sense of urgency rising as the flames burned all the brighter- and the entrance you had entered on the roof was a long way off.

Jacob's eyes glittered slightly, catching your (E/C) eyes just briefly as you quickly got to your feet. Perhaps maybe now wasn't the time- but he was angry, and a part of it was at himself.

But he'd let his agitation rule later, for now he'd focus on keeping close to you and making sure that both of you made it out before burning to death.

Jacob stuck close as you sped off toward the nearest set of stairs, hoping to beat the flames and the explosions rocking the building every other moment. The both of you bolted upwards quickly as you could, taking steps multiples at a time- grabbing beams and hoisting yourselves up the metal constructs of the factory where stairs had collapsed. All the while the air grew thicker and hotter, it was becoming very difficult to breath- even if Jacob had some snarky off hand comment to let slip, he couldn't between his own wheezing and coughing at the dark cloud of smoke.

Your hands gripped about the unnaturally warm metal beams running along the roof of the building, growling as you pulled yourself up onto its length and on to your feet- sliding forward quickly, with near perfect balance that all Assassins ought to have- near.

Your head spun violently the more you moved and exerted yourself- you could only guess there was less potent pockets of the chemical gas floating in the air as more vials and glasses broke open. A part of you wondered if Jacob was feeling any of the effects- he hasn't been next to such a large dose of the chemicals as you had been, but maybe he was inhaling small amounts none the less. When you noticed some of those clouds ahead you quickly snapped at him not to breathe it in as you ran through and out of it.

You growled under your breath, you'd been winded enough times in battle to be able to move while dizzy, for the most part anyway. With that in mind, running through the factory and maintain most of your balance was something you were used to- but you were teetering and swaying a little more than you'd like, trying very hard not to lose your balance entirely.

Jacob's eyes narrowed as he watched you make your way along the railing head of him, noticing even amongst the sudden adrenaline and the smoke that your movements were getting... Sloppier. More groggy and uncontrolled.

He would have asked you, if the building didn't shake violently with a series of explosions rising up from the deepest pits of the raging inferno below you- both of you having reached the top opening in the roof of the building, and the cleaner, fresher air of the afternoon outside.

Both your feet landed on the small platform just under the exit, your eyes snapped backward to see a series of violent explosions going off in quick succession below you- and they were climbing the different levels, quickly. They would be on you in a moment, and the waft of heat and burning would hurt as it rose up out of the window.

Your hand shot out to grasp Jacob's arm as you pulled him forward with you, not pausing a single second as you made for the edge of the roof, a faint wave of relief crashing down on the both of you at the clean air, a welcome to your charred and aching lungs. The whine of Firetrucks told you if had been made aware the building was on fire, but you felt your heart drop a little as well.

Call it personal experience, but whenever a fire truck showed up- more often than not, the cart of leaves, hay or whatever soft landing you had intended for a quick escape from someplace high- was always moved, and of no use to you or anyone.

"... Damn it...!" You growled, voice raspy as skidded to a halt at the edge- seeing your means of escape was indeed gone, and ever aware the explosions were getting louder, bigger, and closer to blowing the roof off the building under neath you. Your (E/C) eyes scanned the area quickly, seeing the water of the Thames rippling in the sunlight, and the smoke of the engines of boats running by continually before you two- a small harbor and shipping area set away a little to your right, with bats docked and floating lazily in the great expanse of the dirty water.

"Well, this is just splendid." Jacob mumbled, surveying the area as you were- and noting the lack of helpful escape. Your eyes dropped, mind racing as you attempted to cone up with a plan- quickly, would be best...

"The boats," you said urgently, your arm pointing toward the nearby (but still not particularly _near_ ) docked boats on the edge of the river ahead of you. "I assume the grappling mechanism will be able to reach that far, we need off this roof." You said, your tone low and commanding. He blinked, before nodding slightly.

Both of you lift your arms, the hooks shooting out to lock to a solitary boat a little inward from the shore- as to avoid grappling into any other boats nearby, that wouldn't be pleasant. Both of you attached the other end to the roof you stood on, jumping off into the air as the building shook even more and the fiery explosions reached an alltime high. The explosion tore from the skylight, and your ziplines bounced a little.

Both of you swung down on the ziplines, meeting empty air as gravity pulled at your bodies relentlessly- zooming through the air downward toward your refuge, leaving the burning building behind. The world blurred past you more wildly than it should, your vision and focus growing worse despite being away from any potential fumes.

And your clues to Athernette's doings, and anything he may be planning... All gone, in hellfire.

Why do things seem to have a habit of catching fire when Jacob is involved?

Your shadows cast over the murky water of the river as you drew closer the boat, as both you and Jacob heard a snap behind you- and the end if the zip line attached to the building you left behind fell apart, and the tautness of the rope was destroyed. Both of you were sent into freefall,

 _Of course.._

"Son of a-!" Jacob yelped slightly,

The dark water of the Thames crashed over your heads, the water thick and nearly threatening to drag you into the depths.

 _... Someone_ _prepared. That_ _building_ _was_ _set_ _to_ _go_ _up_ _in_ _flames_ _if_ _anyone_ _came_ _looking, we_ _were expected..._

 _But_ _how, how_ _did_ _they_ _know_ _someone_ _would_ _come_ _looking_ _at_ _all?_

 _It_ _was_ _a_ _bloody_ _trap... Points_ _to_ _you,_ _Adelain , and_ _you_ _as well- Mr. Athernettte._

 **.:+:.**

 **Alrighty! As** **always, votes** **and** **comments** **are** **appreciated! ^^**

 **Thanks~!**

51


	8. Chapter 7- Change In Plans

_London, 1868- Thames River_

 _"It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe, what one does not believe."_

 _~Thomas Paine_

 **.:+:.**

There is a reason no one goes for a swim in the Thames. Its not that people didn't know how to swim, they just didn't want to- and why would you?

It was as if all the filth of London flowed into it, from the sludge and hideous waste of the factories, the boats and the streets. All of it could be felt and found in the smelly, thick substance that made up the 'water' of the Thames, no longer the deep pits of indigo the water should be- but brown.

And you felt that filth wrap around you as the water encased your form, your entire being soaked as you fell beneath the surface, all sound and sense of the world suddenly lost to deep, cold nothingness. You remained motionless, not breathing, your head tilted up toward where you sensed the surface was- but making no move to swim toward it.

For a very long few moments that seemed like an eternity, you just let yourself sink, the cold was somewhat refreshing to the heat inside the aflame factory- even despite the oily and sludge-like feel you got from the water itself.

Someone... Somehow, either Adelain or Horace, or perhaps even both of them- they knew someone would come looking into that warehouse. They prepared for it... And set the building to blow.

Over and over you kept wondering how they knew anyone would come looking at all... You had done your best to keep your interests silent and unnoticed.

 _... I did._

 _Jacob_ _did_ _not. 'Discretion'_ _is_ _not_ _a_ _word_ _to_ _be_ _found_ _in_ _his_ _dictionary..._

 _He_ _acted_ _rashly, yes... He_ _usually_ _seems_ _to. But_ _surely_ _even_ _his_ _actions_ _weren't_ _enough_ _to_ _spur_ _this?_

 _He_ _let_ _them_ _know_ _someone_ _was_ _out_ _there_ _looking._

 _But_ _how_ _was_ _it_ _they_ _suspected_ _this_ _warehouse_ _would_ _be_ _investigated? There_ _were_ _a_ _number_ _of_ _possible_ _locations..._

 _You've_ _lost_ _your_ _best_ _lead, because_ _he_ _acted_ _like_ _a_ _brash_ _fool._

 _Jacob's_ _action_ _with_ _that_ _man_ _and_ _the list_ _were_ _not_ _enough_ _to_ _cause_ _this. It_ _wasn't_ _enough_ _to_ _warrent_ _a_ _building_ _set_ _to_ _detonate._

 _But_ _what_ _if they_ _were?_

 _... No. Its_ _something_ _else, it_ _must be._

Jacob broke the surface of the water, gasping and heaving as his smoke ridden lungs ached- even when taking in fresher air. The drop into the Thames was cold and unexpected- as well as not wanted, and a flash of annoyance flared inside of him.

His dark gaze moved toward the blazing figure of the warehouse not far off the banks of the river you had left behind, the figures of police and firetrucks milling about as they attempted to still the flames.

 _Bloody perfect... That went well._

His heart lurched a little, suddenly realizing he had yet to see _you_ come up for air since landing in the river- his dark eyes quickly beginning to scan the water around him for any sign of you. It was a little useless assuming he would be able to spot you- not in this water, one could scarely see their own hand in the water before them.

In his mind, seeing you teeter while running along the beams suddenly emerged amongst his thoughts, heightening the sudden apprehension and slight panic he was beginning to feel. He thought you seemed odd, maybe a little unbalanced, sloppy... Whatever for he wasn't sure, but could that be related to why you had failed to rise to the surface?

He knew nothing of you, and as ridiculous as it sounded- he suddenly wondered if you could even swim at all. What sort of Assassin can't swim? It seemed ridiculous, but the doubt sent a small rise of panic sweeping through him.

 _She_ _can_ _swim, you_ _bloody_ _oaf._

 _... But_ _what_ _if_ _she_ _can't, for_ _some_ _incredibly_ _idiotic_ _reason...?!_

"F/N?" He called, voice rising slightly as he gritted his teeth, feeling a sense of worry deepen. "Come on love, you must be joking..." His eyes narrowed, as he swam forward toward where he was sure you had fallen in, eyes glittering as he searched the water quickly.

 _Do_ _not_ _be_ _drowning... You_ _can_ _swim, you_ _must_ _be_ _able... Damn_ _it.._

In his minds eye he instinctively began to search for any hint of you- any splash of green under the surface of the dark water, but again he couldn't find you. Like before your presence seemed entirely hidden from him- even when using his sixth sense, as if you didn't exist. And with it, finding you would be impossible.

"(F/N)!" He snapped, taking a breath as he prepared to dive under.

"Unless you plan to spend all day in this water, I suggest you start swimming."

Jacob's heart jumped a little, spinning hastily in the water as your voice reached his ears- followed by the harsh coughing you let escape, your voice hitching in your burned throat slightly. For a small fleeting moment his dark gaze leveled with your (E/C) one as you slowly swam toward the edge of the docked boat you had been aiming for in the first place. You held his eyes a small moment, a little surprised to see the relief there- and the fast fading concern. He had taken in a breath he hadn't known he had been holding,

You had broke the surface farther from where he was and began to head toward the boat, your thoughts clouded and only faintly aware of him behind you- until he snapped your name at any rate.

It caught you off guard to see him looking so suddenly tense, even a little panicked... And you wondered why? A part of you figured it was because of how long you had spent under the water, you sighed slightly to yourself, eyes narrowing as you looked ahead and away from Jacob entirely.

... A part of you had felt at peace with sinking... You shook your head at yourself.

"I don't wish to spend any longer in this river- if you want to, that's just fine. Otherwise quit gawking and start moving." You grumbled back, breathlessly almost as you caught your breath and stifled your unwanted coughing. He seemed to simply stare at you for a minute, though you had looked away- your ears didn't catch to the sound of him moving.

Jacob's heart ceased its sudden increased speed, the worry and panic fading quickly- replaced with slight confusion and surprise.

He hadn't ever been really worried about anyone's well being before. Yes of course he cared if innocent people were hurt on most occasions, but seeing them in danger or hurt didn't make him feel like this. It didn't stir such sudden and powerful emotions in him- he hadn't felt this way, for anyone, ever before. Or at least, nothing quite like it- and it suddenly happening shocked him slightly, he shocked himself.

Could it be he had grown to care for you more than just an amused and curious fancy? A mystery he intended to unravel?

 _When did that happen?_

He shook his head slightly and began to swim after you,

You let out a small hiss, pulling yourself up onto the edge of the boat's deck, leaving a pool of water on top as it dripped from your hair and clothing rapidly. You sat down, your feet dangling off the edge as the boat rocked lazily on the waves of the river, you took to trying to catch your breath- coughing in between gasps of air that tore out at your aching throat. You pressed your folded fingers to your chin, just under your nose, eyes falling closed as you fought to steady your pained breathing.

Your lead into Athernette's plans is gone... All gone.

 _I'll_ _have_ _to_ _start_ _over... Damn_ _it._

Jacob huffed as he pulled himself up onto the deck of the boat beside you, though your eyes didn't open to look his way.

"Well, that was quite the trip." Jacob sighed, ringing his hat out, the moisture splashing against the surface of the water. He grimanced slightly at it, before placing it back on his head and leaning backward on his hands, his dark eyes glancing toward your silent and slightly panting figure, glittering as he watched you carefully. Beads of water dripped from the loose ends of your (H/C) hair slowly, the droplets glittering in the light of the sun overhead, other drips falling from your soaked person slowly. For a moment his eyes lingered on the small red cut that ran across the bottom of the left side of your jaw- probably from the bits of glass that had been flying in the warehouse. You hardly noticed it though.

"You alright, love?" He asked slowly, you didn't reply.

Your eyes opened to rest on the sight of the warehouse smoking, the windows blazing in orange, police and stray workers flitting about as they tried to quell the flames. You watched in utter silence as your best lead into Horace and his intentions was turned to ash and dust, watching as the small tidbits of a trail faded into cloud and then nothing. As Horace just seemed to slip through your very fingers...

"... I understand, in the midst of this unexpected... Eh, _mishap_ -" Jacob cleared his throat a little awkwardly, "-you seemed to have lost quite the substantial lead into dear old Horace." Jacob started slowly, carefully- dark gaze ever watchful for any sort of reaction from you. But you seemed content to silence, and nothing about you gave any hint of emotion you were feeling at the moment, he couldn't read you.

In his heart he knew it was his fault. He knew it was his blundering and his rash action that had sent that Blighter running. And it was his failure to notice there was still someone in the Building. A certain _someone_ who had set the place ablaze, as he rushed in to pursue them without thinking. He was aware now you had tried to call him back, to stop his quick movement... But as always, he ran in without thinking about the consequences (Evie told him of this many times before, but it would seem this once- it struck a different chord in him). And for it, you had paid dearly- and he felt guilty. It wasn't something he felt often... And certainly not this soon.

Nor did he ever admit to his own mistakes like this, he usually waved things off and denied his fault. He never let the blame be placed on himself, but at this moment- he was all to aware of his mistake and his fault in what had happened.

He did not like the feeling of Guilt...

"... Look, love. I-" he started, his voice dropping. He broke off before he could go any farther, your hand raising to gesture toward him for silence. His words died on his lips, his plan to admit his mistakes to you and hell- even _apologize,_ was suddenly halted as he simply stared.

"Enough, Jacob." You murmured lowly, voice wispy and almost... _Exhausted_ suddenly. He blinked in slight shock, because he didn't hear anger nor annoyance in your tone at all- as he had been expecting. Surely you were angry? But still, he couldn't read you. Your expression never wavered from silent neutrality,

"Don't worry yourself about this- it is no one's fault. The warehouse was set to explode should someone, _anyone_ \- come looking around. I very much doubt that Blighter even knew he would be signing his own Death Warrent when he knocked over that lamp- I doubt his Templar Master made him aware of his eminent death. This was a trap... And we ran into it. A mistake, on my part- for not anticipating this." He just gazed at you, your eyes never leaving the building, never looking his way.

A mistake on... Your part?

"I can find another lead, and I will in time. Now I know for fact Horace is planning something large... Something secret. Enough so he was willing to sacrifice an entire warehouse to keep clues from being discovered. I have to wonder now if this was anything more than a trap... A ruse to lead us to our deaths and quell any more investigation." Your eyes narrowed slightly, a small flash of uneasiness rising in you suddenly.

Had you really walked into a trap so blindly? Could it be that warehouse was a front? You couldn't believe Athernette would be willing to sacrifice the sheer number of supplies that had been tucked inside so easily... You had to wonder if all the crates held anything more than straw, and were not at all packed with other materials.

Had you indeed been tricked? Made such a mistake? Walked into this mess blindly?

You had quite the nose for things that were amiss or fake- traps were often identified and avoided easily, you didn't often find yourself tricked like this... _Have_ _I_ _lost_ _my_ _touch...?!_

If it had been a trick and a ruse... This may not have been any sort of lead at all. Perhaps there hadn't been anything to find here, but you had been sure... Now you weren't so confident.

You bit the inside of your cheek, blinking a few times as the banks of the Thames and the buildings before you swirled violently, all sense of up and down and sky and ground lost as your vision whirled and head began to swim, a painful pounding in your skull mixed with the ever worsening sense of lightheadedness dragging at you. Your eyes closed in effort to dismiss the swirling that gave no indication of going away, head bowing as you breathed in deeply- only to end up coughing harshly for a few moments, your hand moving to cover your mouth as your shoulders shook. The ache and pain in your lungs and throat flared all the brighter, all the more painful, and your feeling of faintness grew worse- though you did your best to hide any outward indication of pain or dizziness.

Jacob flinched slightly at your coughing, and how ragged and harsh it was. His own coughing had ceased, and though his lungs ached from inhaling so much smoke- it didn't bother him as much as it seemed to bother you, and affect you.

You swallowed hard, grimancing slightly at the mettalic taste left in your mouth- pulling your hand away you way the dark stained darker in a few places, and quickly shut your fist before Jacob had chance to notice.

 _What the bloody hell... Did I breath in...?_

You let out a slow, careful breath, chest heaving as you fought for proper air- damn it, breathing was getting harder too.

"Just be glad we made it out alright,"

 _Hardly..._

Your eyes opened to glance Jacob's way, seeing that small frown pulling at his features and the odd twinkling light in his dark eyes as he held you in his gaze steadily. He seemed to be looking you over, trying to understand what was wrong- if he was even sure there was anything wrong.

 _Most_ _certainly..._

You didn't like to look weak or frail in front of other people under any circumstance, and you were surely not going to let Jacob be aware of how awful you were feeling- and how it continued to get worse. He seemed able to sense something was amiss though, but something about you told him that you wouldn't appreciate him asking. Though in Jacob he felt a small lump forming in his stomach, despite himself- this was _worry_ , and it was for _you_. He hadn't known he had come to care so much for you, especially more than just the woman who utterly confused and confounded him.

He had latched on to you quickly, yes. One may even say he was a little obsessed- you did invade his thoughts every day, because he incessantly had to _know_. He had to know you, your work, the true you... And now he knew something was off. And knew now he wanted you at least alive- if you were dead, how would he ever learn anymore about you?

He knew he didn't want you dead. And his worry grew a little deeper, though outwardly he didn't show his concerns.

Maybe that was something you both had in common- you mostly kept your deeper emotions hidden and buried where few to none could ever see them.

The stare Jacob set on you know was intense, searching, maybe perhaps even pensive. It was as if you could hear the gears grinding in that head of his.. And you yourself felt a small flash of discomfort at the look. You weren't sure why though.

"You sure you're alright, love?" He said, his stubbornness breaking through a moment to ask the question he was sure you hadn't wanted him to ask.

"Just fine." You replied easily, though your voice was still hoarse.

 _You_ _are_ _not_ _fine._

You got to your feet, slowly and suddenly- causing Jacob to stiffen in slight surprise at your moving. You tugged at the straps about your neck a little, loosening them slightly before wiping away as much as the water as you could from your robes- it did little good. Your head spun when you stood up, but you ignored it, Jacob climbed to his feet beside you, eyes narrowed but you weren't looking his way.

"For now, I suggest you continue with your investigation to Starrrick's Soothing Syrup." You said slowly, earning a surprised look from him at the sudden change in subject. Your eyes shifted his direction, his features blurred and body swirled from focus- you felt your head pound more. "It will take me some time to dig up another lead... Until then I believe it would be best if you continued with your inquiries regarding the Syrup."

"I could help you locate another lead," he put in, "I have plenty of ways of getting what I want." His sly smirk reappeared despite the worry he felt for you- you shook your head. The action made you feel all the more light headed, and you immediately regretted it.

"I'm sure you do," you replied softly. "But this is my investigation. And remember, Jacob- you promised to do as I asked." Your eyes narrowed, gaze suddenly becoming steely as he simply returned the look. "And at this moment, I am asking you please- turn your focus on the Syrup, for now anyway. I'll contact you when I have something I need of you."

He felt a small rise of indignation inside of himself in that moment, he didn't like that- that you would disappear on him again. The moment he let you out of his sights, you seemed to vanish- and he had no way of finding you, unless you wanted to be found. If he relented, and let you go while he went after the Soothing Syrup- he hated to think how long it would be before he saw you again. Before he was given a chance to learn more of you... The enigma wrapped in a puzzle that you are.

And then he had no want to let you go- because he was certain something was wrong with you. Even now, his eyes narrowed slightly as you took a small, tiny step sideways- as if to steady yourself. You seemed to be hiding what was bothering you extremely well- but for how long could you do that? Would it even be wise to let you go off alone at all? If he was right in thinking something was amiss?

"Your word, Jacob." You murmured softly, your voice lacking the conviction and firmness it should have- you sounded weary. Your eyes rest on him, silently willing him to simply do as you asked- as you felt now, you hadn't the energy nor the patience to argue with him. He blinked, you could tell he didn't like it- at all... But to your great relief, and perhaps even appreciation- he nodded, though grudgingly.

"... Alright." He grumbled half-heartedly, you dipped your head to him.

You stepped forward, eyes narrowing to slits as you poured focus into staying upright and balanced- Jacob's firm grip on your arm stopped you.

"I expect to hear from you soon, love- _very_ soon." He muttered, "Don't keep me waiting."

For whatever reason, you smirked slightly at his words- eyes glinting in slight amusement as you glanced back to him.

For a small moment, your vision unblurred- and everything stopped spinning. Jacob's features came into clear view, seeing the stern look on his face, the firmness in which he held about his person as he said that to you- and how steady his gaze was as he settled you with a surprisingly intense stare.

"I'll be sure not to." You replied lightly, your sudden weariness seeming to lift slightly as your smirk grew wider. You easily slipped from his grasp, turning toward him and bowing to him in a gesture of slight mocking. "I surely wouldn't wish to anger you, _dear Jacob."_ You laughed, though you ended up breaking to cough a little more.

"I am not kidding about-" he grumbled, seeing how amused you suddenly were.

You cleared your throat before answering and subsequently cutting him off, and the world started spinning again. "I understand that." You replied, "Till I see you next time, then?" You smirked, a bit of your mirth returning. You turned and lightly jumped toward a boat that had been rolling past behind you, your boots clicking slightly as you landed on the last craft at the end of the line.

You faltered slightly, taking a few steps sideways as you lost your balance suddenly- but remained standing, casting a small glance over your shoulder to see Jacob melt away into a world suddenly growing dark and indiscernible. You bit your lip, looking away and letting your eyes fall closed.

 _Damn_ _it..._

You leaned against a stack of crates beside you for support as things began to swirl on freefall- all strength to stand fading fast away from you the moment your body seemed to sense Jacob was no longer able to spot you.

You had issue in trusting other people... And couldn't feel comfortable letting anyone see you weak, ever. But your body was starting to refuse to listen- now that you had no one to hide and pretend for.

Breathing was hard, your lungs ached terribly and you had hard time keeping yourself from coughing. The world was twisting and turning as the edges of your vision grew darker, you felt more and more faint and your head pounded all the more.

 _God_ _knows_ _what_ _those_ _damned_ _chemicals... Were..._

You pressed against the crates more, the boat rolling forward steadily. Perhaps you'd stay a little while, to try and catch your breath and bearings before getting off...

.:+:.

Jacob remained still as he watched the boat you escaped on move from his reach of following- and grow farther and farther away from him. Again... You were about to vanish.

There remained a deep sense of uneasiness in his breast that would not go away- uneasiness of the like he had never felt before.

He scowled slightly, you proved you had many skills. And he knew that deception, secrecy, and the subtle art of hiding ones truer emotions and feeling must be among your arsenal. He couldn't help but feel you had used such skills now, on him- and in order to keep hidden whatever he felt was wrong that kept nagging him.

"You should have followed her, Jacob you bloody _idiot_..."

 **.:+:.**

You had grown quite familiar with the streets of London over the years- as you needed to, in order to be able to travel them unnoticed. You knew nearly every corner of this city, every nook and crany... Every underworld den of iniquity and markets that held those items that were not of legal standing. You knew the buildings, the streets, the alleyways- all of it, almost instinctively.

London was now a mess of swirling and blurred mountings of stone and wood that rocked around you- the streets and the carriages and the people, all of them nothing but gray objects with indiscernible forms. You recognized nothing, you couldn't make out a damn thing- your mind was slipping more and more as whatever chemicals you had inhaled affected you ever more deeply.

You weren't sure where you were, it was dark, perhaps like night had started to fall... It was quiet. Head poundingly quiet, your head hung as you slightly stumbled down the dirty, mudridden alleyway you assumed you were in... _Somewhere._

Everything lurched under your feet, all depth perception skewed, your legs felt weak and you felt incredibly faint- you couldn't remember the last time you had felt so off balance, so unsteady... So _awful_. You couldn't stop coughing- you tried desperately too, but the more you struggled to move forward, the more you panted- the more your body was shaken with ragged coughing.

You hadn't breathed in that much of that gas, had you? Or were the chemicals just that strong...?

You bumped against the brick wall beside you hard, sending a painful jolt through your arm as you hissed. To make things all the better- you were still soaked from your dip into the Thames, and you reeked of the filth of the water and London itself.

You knew at least what direction you should be heading, and had enough control and strength to stay on your feet. For the purpose of not arousing any unwanted attention, you were engaged in a constant battle to keep yourself upright, moving, and as balanced as possibly could be- but that was proving rather difficult.

Bloody good thing you were so practiced in the art of _'pretending'._

You took in a deep breath, coughing as the air hitched in your throat, hand moving to cover your mouth. You took a moment to pause, walking made things spin all the more out of control- stopping was a little better, but you didn't want to stop.

You were ever so aware of the sudden blurs of red approaching your unsteady and unfocused form,

 _I_ _don't_ _need_ _this_ _right_ _now..._

"Oi! Ain't you that bitch from Devil's Acre?!"

"Yeah! You're the one who threatened us!"

"You kept us from layin' into that bloody bastard Frye!"

 _Perfect... The_ _idiots_ _Jacob_ _pissed_ _off_ _at_ _the_ _pub_ _in_ _Devil's_ _Acre... Fantastic._

With another, more shallow breath, you let your eyes fall closed a moment- one hand and arm extended to press against the wall beside you, the other lifting to gesture toward the halfheartedly with a pointed finger.

"Listen... Lads..." You huffed, voice low and ragged from your incessant coughing. You were oh so _not_ in the mood for this...

Your head raised, your (E/C) eyes locking to their blurred and muffled figures- your gaze suddenly cold and steely despite your condition. They seemed to pause a moment, suddenly sensing your agitation with their presence and anger at how loud their yelling was to your pounding head.

"Walk away. Right now. I am in absolutely no mood to deal with your stupidity, and I will not handle it either." You growled lowly, voice dropping. "If you value your own lives, you'll turn round and leave me be, understood?"

"Lookie 'ere, girly! Yer all alone, and ya don't look too good either, eh, sweetheart?" One of them snarled, voice sickly sweet. You grimaced, you could tell they were smirking now. "Easy pickins. I reckon we oughtta pay ya back fer messin' in our business!"

"Don't act like we'll let ya get away with threatenin' us!"

"We're gonna rip ya limb from limb!"

You growled under your breath, shaking your head furiously in attempt to clear the blurriness, seeing them move toward you instantly- with intent to harm, maim, _murder_.

"I don't need this right now, damn it..!" You hissed,

Your wrist flicked backward, hand shoving into the nearest Blighter's chest and heart instantly, while your other hand moved forward to tear across the second Blighter's arm- causing him to yell in pain and drop the cleaver he had been weilding.

Your hand left the breast of the first Blighter, who crumpled at your feet. You took a quick step forward, bringing your elbow around and ramming it into the neck of the Blighter whose arm you had cut- bowling him over on to the ground a little ways from you.

The third Blighter had wised up enough to block the punch you sent his way, your fist bouncing off his arms nearly harmlessly as you grumbled to yourself. Your hand shot up to set a steely grip on the Blighter's wrist, wrenching his arm upward with tremendous force while your leg swung up to smart him in the abdomen. He doubled over, defense lost as you twisted his arm about- your Hidden Blade tearing across his exposed throat, crimson color blurring with the glow of red that quickly faded in your minds eye as his life fell away to nothing.

A quick step the right, you jabbed both your Hidden Blades into the base of the last Blighter's skull- as he attempted to pick himself back up again.

You stepped sideways away from the bodies, your queasiness all the worse and head whirling. Your back crashed against the wall opposite the one you had previously been leaning against, huffing as you fought for air in your burned lungs.

Even most assuredly poisoned and very much off balance- you were still quite the force to be reckoned with. As you should be... You were one of the deadliest Assassins London had ever seen in all its years.

Your legs finally decided to ignore your wishes and gave out, you slid down the wall and onto the ground, one knee propped up the other laying out. Your arms fell limply about your stomach, head falling back against the brick and eyes closed.

There had been a sudden surge of adrenaline in you, but it quickly faded and left you all the more faint.

You'd rest a few moments, then move off again. At this rate, standing up may not be the best idea... You wished the ground would stop spinning under your feet. It was utterly annoying.

For a few long moments, you stayed there- unperturbed by the bodies bleeding crimson lying about you. You hardly cared, and as it was- it seemed the alleyway you were in was deserted. Though it'd be best not to linger too long...

"... Mmm... This day has been just _splendid_ , hasn't it...?"

 **.:+:.**

 _"F/N_ _dear... A_ _lady_ _should_ _not_ _bow_ _to_ _such_ _levels! Ladies_ _are_ _to_ _be_ _neat, well-mannered and_ _courteous! Not_ _galavanting_ _about, climbing_ _trees_ _and_ _starting_ _fights!"_

 _"Sit_ _up_ _straight!"_

 _"(F/N)! Where_ _is_ _your_ _dress?! A_ _lady_ _should_ _not, and_ _shall_ _not_ _run_ _around_ _in_ _such_ _clothes! Its_ _unbecoming!"_

 _"You_ _will_ _attend_ _Mr. Harlow's_ _Dinner_ _Party_ _tonight, I_ _will_ _not_ _take_ _no_ _for_ _an_ _answer!"_

 _There_ _was_ _the_ _stinging_ _pain_ _of_ _her_ _hand_ _slamming_ _against_ _your_ _cheek, the_ _rising_ _indignation_ _and_ _hatred_ _you_ _felt_ _in_ _your_ _stomach, your fist_ _clenching_ _at_ _your_ _side._

 _"You_ _know_ _very_ _well_ _your_ _Uncle_ _holds_ _etiquette_ _and_ _manners_ _in_ _high_ _regard- you_ _cannot_ _disappoint_ _him!"_

 _"Such_ _a_ _rough_ _girl, like_ _a_ _savage!"_

 _Your_ _hatred_ _for_ _the_ _woman_ _knew_ _no_ _bounds, your_ _hatred_ _for_ _all_ _of_ _it was_ _deeper_ _than_ _anything._

 _"(F/N), we_ _will_ _be_ _sending_ _you_ _to_ _a_ _private_ _school_ _in_ _France. Perhaps_ _the_ _instructors_ _there_ _will_ _be_ _able_ _to_ _whip_ _some_ _manners_ _into_ _you_ _in_ _nothing_ _else."_

 _"Sod_ _that!"_

 _"Watch_ _your_ _tongue_ _young_ _lady!"_

 _Your_ _hand_ _shot_ _out_ _to_ _catch_ _her_ _wrist_ _as_ _she_ _lift_ _her_ _own_ _to_ _strike_ _out_ _at_ _you,_ _you_ _threw_ _her_ _arm_ _away_ _roughly, your_ _entire_ _countenance_ _seeming_ _to_ _grow_ _dark, daunting_ _and_ _murderous._

 _"I_ _will_ _not_ _tolerate_ _you_ _or_ _your_ _insane_ _standards_ _any_ _longer. You_ _dare_ _try_ _to_ _tell_ _me_ _what_ _to_ _do_ _again, or_ _raise_ _a_ _hand_ _to_ _me-"_

 _You_ _had_ _swept_ _up_ _to_ _be_ _inches_ _from_ _her_ _face, eyes_ _dark_ _and_ _cold, glinting_ _in_ _pure_ _malice. Something_ _inside_ _of_ _you_ _had_ _flipped-_ _a_ _switch_ _had_ _been_ _turned_ _and_ _now_ _your_ _years_ _of_ _quiet_ _loathing_ _and_ _obedience_ _gave_ _way_ _to_ _something_ _darker, something_ _dangerous- you_ _felt_ _her_ _tremble. And_ _as_ _the_ _words_ _came_ _past_ _your_ _mouth, there_ _was_ _no_ _regret, you_ _weren't_ _joking-_ _you_ _were_ _deathly_ _serious_ _and_ _she_ _knew_ _it._

 _"I_ _will_ _kill_ _you."_

 _(F/N)!_

 _"D-devil...!"_

 _(F/N)!_

 _... That_ _is_ _not_ _her_ _voice... Nor_ _mine..._

 _...hmm..?_

 **.:+:.**

"(F/N)! Wake up, damn it!"

That voice was serious, almost slightly panicked. You could hear worry in the tone, and found it odd.. People hardly needed worry over you. Ever.

 _Hold a moment... What happened? Is that... That is Hector._

You groaned slightly, shifting your aching and stiff muscles as your eyes fluttered open and squinted against the harsh pale light... Of morning.

 _I've_ _been... Sitting_ _here_ _for_ _hours...?!_

Your joints ached, and your body felt cold and slow from the chill that had settled over your soaked person- to which you had dried by now. Your head ceased to pound hardly at all, and while your lungs and throat stung it was nothing like before- you simply felt like dead weight. Exhausted and weary... But the ground didn't spin around you incessantly.

Your vision was blurring in and out still, but not so much that you couldn't make out Hector's familiar face (split lip and bruising all from Jacob's fist still) as he looked down at you, eyes glinting and lips pulled into a taught line. He was crouched in front of you, one hand resting on your knee while the other moved from holding your cheek slowly.

Beside him you could see the shifting and nervous form of young Daniel behind, eyes wide and glittering in fear and worry- and innocence that only children can have. Every once in a while his eyes shifted frightfully to the stone cold slumped forms of the three Blighters you had cut down the night before, and had been left undisturbed as you had been. _How fortunate._

Hector let out a small sigh as you glanced to him, head bowing a little as he shook his head a bit. "... Damn it, you _idiot_." He grumbled, you blinked at the insult- he hardly ever spoke to you like that, most people didn't dare. "We've been looking for you all damned night, (F/N)!" He snapped, head and gaze snapping up to you again, you grimaced slightly, settling him with a silent stare.

"After that warehouse went up in flames, I was expecting you back in Westminster after an hour or two- not to have to find ya passed out in a bloody alleyway surrounded by three dead Blighters!" He growled lowly, hazel eyes narrowed in anger toward you. "You're a dammed fool! What the hell happened?!"

"... Most people don't dare call me such things." You grumbled lowly, the reply only seemed to make him angrier. _Damn_ _it, why_ _is_ _my_ _voice_ _still_ _so_ _ragged?_

"Sod that! Tell me what the hell happened, so I don't have to wring your neck for making me walk all across London to find you!" Hector snapped, his hand raising to gesture back toward Daniel. "Daniel had to come and tell me where you were, since _you_ didn't bother to send word through any of the regular lines. And that was only _after_ I spent the damned night searching for ya! Do you have any clue where ya are right now?!"

"... There really is no need to yell, _Hector_." You muttered, tone edgy. He was angrier than you could ever remember him being- and maybe he did have right. You really hadn't been expecting to lose consciousness at all... But his anger and that sense of worry he seemed to hold about him was, in all honesty- foreign to you.

You knew very well how to take care of yourself (at least, a good portion of the time, discounting this moment) and you hardly ever gave anyone reason to worry over you, or be concerned. Hector was good to you, he listened and did as you asked- he was the best worker you had under your wing, and you appreciated his time and his help. That's why he was your second in command, you relied a lot of your work to him and he worked dutifully to do as you asked without complaint. You may even consider yourself friends... If you let yourself have any.

You never wondered on it, but you supposed that maybe he had taken a liking to you- or at least cared enough for you to hate it when you got into trouble, and be concerned when something went wrong. Like it had now.

But you hadn't ever thought he was concerned with your well being to this extent- to be snapping your head off for disappearing for a night. (Which, you did every so often as he knew) But perhaps finding you passed out in an alleyway made things all the worse.. And him all the more agitated.

You blinked slowly, not sure how to feel about his apparent concern for your well being, nor how to react to his anger toward you. You weren't used to this, at all- and you weren't sure you were... Comfortable with it.

In all aspects, you were reserved, secretive, and distant. You were cold, and numb too- and for good reason. Such emotions like worry, concern and caring were foreign, they didn't register in you as they may other people. And they didn't register now.

He settled you with a fiery hazel glare that made it clear your failure to answer his questions was not making him any more inclined to quit yelling at you. You growled inwardly, before shaking your head with a small, moody huff that was somewhat unlike you. You were usually more refined, more... Well mannered. Cordial.

"... I'm fine." You grumbled,

"I'm not about to believe that." He shot back haughtily, your jaw tightened slightly at the scolding tone in his voice. Like you were some child.

"... Stubborn git." You growled, letting out a small sigh in attempt to calm the sudden surge of irritation toward him down a little. He just remained with a steady look on you, clearly waiting. Your (E/C) eyes rolled slightly, deliberately looking away from him and toward the sky over your head.

"... We ran into a... Complication." You started slowly, and though you weren't looking his way- you knew there was a look of _'no_ _shit?'_ On his face at your words. "... Either Adelain, or maybe even Athernette, they knew someone would come looking into that warehouse, and set it to blow when that happened. There must have been hundreds of crates of explosives in that warehouse, and they all went off- destroying whatever may, or may not have been inside." You murmured lowly, eyes narrowing as the memories of the days past events came back to the surface again. "... It was a trap. They were prepared for outside investigation, and were willing to go to lengths such as destroying that building to cover their tracks."

 _I walked into a damned trap._

"And you and Mr. Frye?" He pressed as you fell into a few moments of silence.

"We're clearly still alive." You grumbled, "We made it out of the building, but we did take a small dip in the Thames..."

You saw Daniel's freckled nose wrinkle in disgust at the thought of the water, you silently agreed.

"What happened to _you_?" Hector growled,

"I told you, I am fine." You snapped back lowly,

"If ya were fine, you wouldn't be passed out in a damned alleyway, now would you?" He snapped back, your lips parted to snap something snarky in reply, only to have your words lost to a bout of coughing that shook your body instead, your inhaled breath catching painfully in your throat.

Your hand moved to cover your mouth, eyes closed and shoulders tight and body rigid, suddenly fighting for air. It would seem your arguing with Hector had irritated your throat and lungs more than you'd like- and with the coughing, things started spinning again.

You were panting in short, shallow breaths when your coughing ceased, your knees pulled up to your chest and hand falling against your thighs, eyes glinting slightly when you noticed the dark and shinning stains dotting the dark material all the more, you swallowed hard to try and get rid of the taste.

Perhaps it'd be best not to raise your voice.

"And that?" Hector pressed lowly, though his anger seemed to wane when he noticed you looking suddenly more worn than before.

"... Smoke." You breathed in a hoarse whisper, "... And perhaps... I did inhale some choice... Chemicals... A bit more than I'd like..." With the sudden spinning of the world, your irriattaion and energy seemed to slip from your grasp. Sleep had done you good, but it only lasted so long- and now you could feel yourself beginning to spiral into exhaustion and lightheadedness again. And with it, you suddenly didn't have the energy, nor the stubbornness to keep going back and forth with Hector- and so you gave in. Though inwardly you hated yourself for giving up so easily,

"... Ms. (L/N)...?"

You heard Hector let out a small growl, before he turned to the fidgeting form of Daniel.

"Don't worry yourself, Daniel. I'll keep an eye on her, she'll be fine." Hector told the small boy quietly, you glared slightly- you didn't need to be looked after! You were not a child!

"Do me a favor would you? Run to our people over in Southwark, tell them to try and search the ashes of the warehouse for anything useful, and get back to me as soon as they can, alright?" Daniel nodded, looking a little more comfortable having something to do.

"Right away, sir." He murmured, Hector nodded, fingers digging in his pockets as he tossed a few coins Daniel's way.

"Good work, helping me find (F/N)." Hector murmured, "Come see me soon, alright?"

"Yeah," Daniel smiled slightly, his green eyes trailing toward you. "Get well, Miss!" He called, as he turned round and headed off back up the alleyway quickly.

"... We should get you to a hospital." Hector said softly, glancing back to you, once Daniel was away.

"No." You growled, he sighed- he knew that would be your answer.

"If not that, ya should at least rest. In a bed," he said pointedly. "Don't make me drag you into one."

You sighed again, swallowing when your lungs ached and threatened to send you coughing again.

"... There's still work to be done." You mumbled, "That warehouse... I have reason to believe it may have been a front."

"Hmm?" Hector hummed in slight surprise. "If it was a front... That would mean someone tipped off Adelain." You settled him with a small, silent stare and he blinked in slight shock. "You think we've been betrayed...?"

"... I don't know how else to think. Its possible that Jacob's actions involving finding the list gave Adelain reason to worry, but I don't think it was enough to warrent an entire building be sent up in flames." You replied lowly, seriously. "Every piece of information we had lead us to beleive that warehouse was holding the supplies Mr. Athernette was looking for- and I very much doubt he was willing to sacrifice them all. And they didn't move the supplies either, if they ever were in that Warehouse at all. We would have seen it."

"Either we were tricked by someone... Or our information was simply wrong." Hector murmured, eyes narrowed.

"Precisely... And it's a riddle I need to solve. I can't afford to waste time." You murmured, he frowned at you.

"You really ought to rest," he grumbled. "Admit it or not, you're not in good shape. Whatever 'chemicals' you were exposed to, they took one hell of a toll, now didn't they?" You frowned in return, but stayed silent. He took that as your answer,

"... Bloody stubborn idiot... If I didn't know you, I would try to force you. But I do know you, and I know better... Damn you."

 **.:+:.**

"... The documents we retrieved underneath the Kenway Mansion will take time to translate. But if our assumptions are correct, they may indeed lead us to the location of a Piece of Eden inside London." Henry said, his voice full of barely muffled excitement at the find. He moved inside the Curio Shop he called home, Evie following behind closely with a smile pulling at her features.

"Thank you, Henry. For accompanying me." Evie murmured,

"No need, in fact- I should be thanking you for the opportunity to come along!" Henry smiled, "It was quite the adventure, the likes of which I haven't had in a long time."

"I enjoyed myself as well. It was quite the treat to see so many pieces of the Assassins History, even if they are in the hands of the Templars." Evie murmured, voice dropping to a small sigh at the thought.

"Ah, but perhaps not for long now that you and your brother are in London, Ms. Frye." Henry smiled, circling about the tables and stands as he moved farther into the shop. Evie smiled, her freckles pulling as she nodded to him.

"I'm flattered by your confidence." Henry waved a hand, a warm smile on his lips, eyes glinting slightly.

"Well- confidence given, as confidence is deserved." He chuckled, Evie glanced from him, hands hooking behind her back as a faint, girlish blush seemed to pass over her features a moment, Henry blinked, before glancing away flusterdly and began to shuffle papers from behind the counter.

 _How_ _adorable..._

"Come now Henry, why don't you ever express such confidence in me?" You nearly cooed the words, the small display at the subtle hints of nervousness you could practically see sparking from the two lightening your mood significantly. Despite your pounding head, aching lungs and throat- and the ever spinning and blurred figure of the room, you still found then quite amusing- as you should. You were simply surprised such behavior had sprouted so quickly, but you enjoyed the idea none the less.

Henry jumped slightly at the sound of your voice, quickly turning about to see you from where you were settled on the edge of a table near the bookshelf settled to the left of the countertop.

Your arms remained crossed over your chest, hood down to leave your features bare and hair wavy now as strands and pieces fell loosely from their regular braid, curling slightly as it dried from the dip in the river. You smiled at him and his surprised, and slightly caught off guard expression- noticing that Evie herself had jumped slightly, apparently both of them had been so invested in their conversation, they had completely missed you, regardless of the fact you were rather out in the open. Hell, Henry had walked near to you and not noticed as he went behind the counter.

"(F/N)!" He exclaimed, eyes wide as he looked to you, and then paused, eyes glittering as his brow furrowed slightly. "(F/N)? You look awful, what happened?" He pressed quickly, you blinked, a deadpan stare coming across your face as your jaw clenched slightly.

Oh how you hated people pointing out such things..

"Are you alright?" Evie jumped in, icy blue eyes glinting slightly as she took a few steps in your direction. Her features turned into a searching one as her eyes narrowed in near suspicion and annoyance- but not toward you.

"This happened because of my brother, didn't it?" She grumbled, arms crossing over her chest as she shook her head. "He's such a brash fool..."

"(F/N), I received word of a Warehouse catching fire on the edge of the Thames just yesterday," Henry said, calling your attention back to him as he continued to question you quickly, you couldn't remember the last time he had seemed so suddenly concered over anything. "I hope I am not right in assuming you and Jacob had part in that...?" You nodded, and his eyes widened. "Were you caught inside of it? Is that the reason for your looking like this? What happened?"

"Jacob set a building on fire?" Evie growled, her tone one of only faint disbelief and more irritation than anything. She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, "That idiot."

"It is extremely odd for you to be involved in anything like this, regardless of Jacob's presence." Henry kept going, you could practically see him growing more frustrated with your lack of answering his quick questions. You stiffened slightly, biting the inside of your cheek as your stare settled on him in sheer silence. "Its rare any of your inquiries go awry, for any reason at all."

You let out a small sigh, stifling the urge to cough and failing- coughing slightly into your hand, eyes closing as you waited for it to cease, swallowing hard and aware you were receiving concerned looks from Evie and Henry alike- you cursed inwardly.

"Are you alright?" Evie voiced her question again, disregarding her apparant frustration with her brother entirely this time around. You nodded slightly, folding your hands in your lap and head bowed.

"... It would seem my lead fell through." You replied slowly, avoiding her question entirely. You hadn't any want to get into it again- especially if it would lead to arguing. "Jacob and I arrived at the Warehouse and dealt with the guards, I was preparing to begin sesrching the supplies inside when we realized there had been one last man inside the building- one who set the trap off that was meant to cause the warehouse to catch fire. The entire warehouse itself was set to blow, as if it was expected someone may coming looking for it." You inwardly grumbled, it had been a trap and you blundered into it like a damned fool.

"Jacob and I were caught inside- though we managed to get out relatively unharmed. Although, in the process we did take a tumble into the Thames.."

 _I hate that dammed river._

"However, it would seem my information was wrong. What of it I maned to collect lead me to believe that my Mark was collecting and storing supplies within that warehouse. In light of the fact the warehouse was set to detonate, and destroy everything inside... I am beginning to wonder if there was anything of any worth inside. It may have been, and probably was, a front- meant to kill whoever came looking into it. But away from that... It would seem we walked straight into a trap, unintentionally of course... But a trap none the less." You couldn't help the slight disdain that worked its way into your voice near the end, and you had to keep yourself from grimancing in frustration at the incredibly shocked look Henry Green was settling upon you.

He looked utterly astounded, as he probably should- because he had known you the longest of anyone, and he knew all too well how good you were. The idea you had been lead into, and fallen in a trap so easily- that seemed near impossible to him, and the idea your information had been wrong... You were always right.

And usually you were, it wasn't all arrogance as many may call it. You'd been at this a long time and had a knack for it, it was rare you were lead astray- and you and Henry knew it very well. Which, brought the question of why your information on that warehouse had been wrong in the first place- and the possibility you had been lead awry... From someone close to you.

A topic you would be pondering on a long while, you were sure.

"With that, I lost a lead I thought to be the best I had- and need a new clue to follow. However... It would seem I am in somewhat of a bind." You kept going, not pausing long enough for question- of which you were sure there were some. "Ms. Frye," you murmured, catching her eyes immediately as she looked to you intently. "I understand you are currently looking into a Piece of Eden here in London, but I would ask a favor of you."

"Hmm?"

"I know that a contact of my Mark, a Ms. Adelain Hrothgur, is housing letters and documents within her estate in Westminster. I believe there are documents referring to my Marks activity- and would like them retrieved. Delicately, I would prefer Adelain know nothing of our meddling- so I need someone with a more tempered approach to retrieve the documents quietly." Evie blinked in slight surprise, your head bowed slightly. "The documents are set to be moved to an estate outside of London, and will be on a Train out of the city by tonight- it'd probably be easiest to get to them in transit. But with that, my window is closing quickly... And as Henry so delicately put it;" you sighed, "... The incident with the warehouse has left me somewhat worse for wear, and with how I am right now- I doubt I'd be capable of the discretion and speed needed for this retrieval myself. So, Ms. Frye- I turn to you."

You clapped your hands lightly in front of you, eyes resting on Evie steadily as you dipped your head to her in a somewhat odd, yet incredibly formal gesture- one both she and Henry seemed taken aback by.

"I hate to impose, but I would appreciate your help in this matter. I would ask your brother, but I think we'll both agree you are much more suited for this sort of mission." You murmured, eyes glinting slightly as you gazed to her steadily and her somewhat shocked expression.

You hadn't expected to ask for Evie's help on this matter if you were being honest, at least not this quickly.. And not in these circumstances. It would seem she was surprised at the sudden ask for help as well, because for a small moment she seemed lost for response.

Though your eyes were fixed to Evie you could feel Henry's stare on you, those narrowed eyes and the taughtness his body held as he stood there with his arms crossed about his chest- mind working in overtime to piece together everything you said. You had failed to answer his initial question, still- at least in full. But the sudden ask for help from Evie gave him all the answer he needed, and now he was just tense.

Evie smiled slightly and nodded, "Of course, I'd be happy to help, (F/N)." She replied lightly, "After all, you have already assisted in my endeavors. It'd be my pleasure to assist in yours." You nodded slightly,

"Thank you," you murmured, lightly grasping the small pile of papers beside you in your hand and holding them out to her- she stepped forward and took them from you. "This is all the information you'll need for this assignment, and all the information I have on Adelain and my Mark- Horace Athernette." Her eyes glinted slightly at the name- perhaps Jacob mentioned it.

Evie nodded, her eyes scanning the papers just briefly before they landed on you again, "Are you alright?" She asked, _that infernal question again._

The glint in her eyes told you she had taken note you had avoided answering the question this entire time- as you expected she would, she was a clever lass.

You smiled slightly, nodding once as your eyes fell closed again.

"I will be alright, in time." You murmured softly, "It isn't anything to concern yourself over, Ms. Frye." You assured her and she nodded slightly, relenting though it was clear she and Henry doubted your words. But it would be Henry who would challenge them- but perhaps not just now.

"I will do my best to procure these Documents before they leave London." Evie promised, "You have my word." The elder Frye began toward the door,

"Ms. Frye- Evie, please take care." Henry called after her as she headed away toward the door. "Should you meet her, Adelain is a vicious foe- you should tread lightly."

"I will, Mr. Green." Evie nodded, "They shall not be given chance to know I am there."

"Best of luck, Ms. Frye." Your murmured lowly, as Evie departed and you were left alone in the shop with Henry.

"(F/N)," Henry said at length, that was a warning tone if you had ever heard one... You sighed again, only to end up in a small fit of coughing that made you curse in your head a choice few times.

Henry's face was pulled into a concerned frown, as he waited for you to finish in your coughing- he had taken the few strides he needed to clear the space between the both of you, and now he was not two steps before you and your tired eyes.

"You may wish to avoid the question, but don't think for a moment I'm going to let this pass." Henry grumbled, "I know you better than to assume you are alright simply because you say so."

"... You're beginning to sound like Hector..." You grumbled hoarsely, hands clasped together tightly and all too aware of the metallic taste in your throat.

"Perhaps for good reason." He sounded exasperated now, and slightly scolding. "... Is Jacob alright? Is he suffering from the same as you?"

"No, I was near a crate of various chemicals when the warehouse was dragged to flames. Many of them were flammable and volatile- I inhaled those that became gas. Since then... I've not been in the best of shape." You shook your head slightly, "Jacob didn't breathe any of it in, if he did- it was not enough to cause him any harm." You paused a moment,

"... Jacob did not return to the Train Hideout yesterday?" You murmured slowly, Henry shook his head.

"Evie mentioned he never came back. I assumed he was still with you." Henry replied, "Was he not?"

"No. I've not the slightest clue where he is." You replied lowly,

 _... If_ _he_ _didn't_ _return_ _home... Where_ _the_ _hell_ _did_ _that_ _man_ _go?_

 **.:+:.**

 **A** **very** **long, and** **very boring chapter! I** **apologize** **for** **that, next** **Chapter** **will** **be** **better** **I** **promise!**

 **Ooh, what** **happened** **to** **Jacob? XD**

152


	9. Chapter 8- To Your Stealth

_London, 1868_ \- _Westminster_

 _"The Creed of the Assassin Brotherhood teaches us that nothing is forbidden to us. Once, I thought that meant we were free to do as we would. To pursue our ideals, no matter the cost. I understand now... Not a grant of permission, the Creed is a warning."_

 _~ Arno Dorian, French Master Assassin_

 ** _.:+:._**

"Ms. (L/N)! How good to see you!"

You managed a small, weary smile at the all too familiar voice that directed your attention- the same one you were used to hearing mixed among the sound of flesh slamming against flesh, the cry of pain and the roaring of the crowds as they watched man inflict harm against man.

The room itself was warm from the bustling bodies, the scent of pipes being smoked tinged the air as the patrons screamed and cursed, fists raised and bodies bumping into each other in the tight groups wrapped about the ring. There even remained the pungent odor of sweat and blood- something you were all too familiar with, in your line of work.

The bright and smirking face of Robert Topping, solitary extrodinare of the illegal activities around the city provided for the entertainment that the common man craved, that smirk met you as he swept up from the edge of the crowd and stopped before you, giving a small, jesting bow to you.

"What a pleasure it is to have you in our humble business!" He smiled, "It has been nearly too long, my friend."

You noticed the small glimmer of question make its way into his eyes at the sight of you, and your still rather haggard appearance, despite the fact that you had attempted to try and freshen your appearance up a bit. But the man knew better than to question it, he was clever and quick on the uptake. Besides, this is where you came to wind down anyway, sod it if you looked a mess.

You smiled just faintly, dipping your head to him. "Indeed," you murmured softly. "Business seems to be rolling," you commented, your eyes flicking across the room a moment.

"Indeed!" He smirked, folding his hands together in front of him. He followed you along the edge of the crowd, toward a set of stairs set near the back. "Profits have been exceptional, especially since the arrival of our dear Frye Twins." He cast you a smirk, but you were no longer looking his way- you let out a small, slightly amused sigh at the comment.

"The Blighters have been all the more willing to jump in the ring since the Rooks have started to lay a claim to London." Topping went on, "Mr. Frye has been bringing quite the crowd with him, when he joins in the fighting as well."

You blinked, a small spark of interest flaring at the base of your mind at the comment- but it mattered little with the dozens of other thoughts swirling through your head.

"I can't say that's surprising.." You replied softly, Robert paused at the base of the stairs, leaning against the railing as you took a step up.

"Indeed," he smiled, bowing to you again, "I will leave you to your studies then, _madame_." He murmured, you nodded and continued up the stairs. You wanted to be left to yourself for some time, you needed time to think.

Letting out a small sigh that ended in coughing, you shook your head and made your way up the stairs, your hand gliding along the railing lightly, moving slowly, eyes halfway closed.

To be entirely honest, sleep was what you craved most- but sleep was not in your future.

 _Where_ _did_ _all_ _of_ _this_ _start, anyway? It_ _wasn't_ _always_ _like_ _this..._

 _... Once, this_ _was_ _a_ _game. A_ _tease, something_ _amusing, interesting... And_ _now_ _its_ _turned_ _to_ _something_ _else._

 _But_ _it's_ _still_ _dangerous, always_ _was._

You reached the top of the stairs, slowly making your way across toward a desk set on the opposite end of the room, flanked by bookcases holding hundreds of works of various topic and caliber. Circling about the edge of the large, polished oak desk you took a seat in the tall chair set beside it, gently pushing the lit candle on the desk's surface to the corner, your attention barely taking note of the stacks of carefully folded papers set atop, many of them sealed or wrapped in wire.

You settled your elbows atop the table, pressing your chin in to your folded hands and letting your eyes fall closed, the sound of the fighting below fading to a humm in the base of your mind.

Your sources, all your research and planning- everything had told you that warehouse on the edge of the Thames was a hub of Adelain's, and ultimately Athernette's business. The debacle with the fire had proved that likely wasn't the case- who would be willing to lose a large portion of their supplies in such a trap? It wasn't likely there was any more than sparse few supplies in the warehouse that were of any consequence, at least not enough that there would have been sorry over losing it in a fire.

It wasn't likely either, that your information had been simply wrong for no particular reason. It was true, sometimes information was simply bad...but you had been spending so much time looking into this. So much time, effort and detail, so much care... That meant something else had gone wrong.

In all your thoughts, the one thing you were entirely sure of- someone had warned Adelain. Someone had gone behind your back and betrayed you.

 _Now_ _the_ _question_ _is_ _who?_

You sighed, your forehead resting lightly against your hands.

You honestly couldn't believe that Jacob rushing into things had caused enough stir to give Adelain time to pause and set that warehouse up for fire. The Blighter that had been accosted surely wouldn't have gone running to his master, for fear he be killed for his incompetence. Something, or someone else had warned Adelain. Long before Jacob intervened.

 _So_ _who_ _is_ _that's_ _had_ _the_ _gall_ _to_ _double_ _cross_ _me...?_

Your hands clenched into small fists about each other in a sudden surge of irritation and anger. This turn of events hardly worried you as much as they made you angry, you felt your rage stirring deep inside you- rage that wanted to slit the throat of however had crossed you, throttle them and dump them from a tower...

You let your hands fall apart, shaking your head at yourself.

Your attention turned toward the window on your right, seeing the sun beginning to set now that afternoon waned and darkness began to creep in, the documents in Adelain's estate would be moved soon onto a train once the sun finally set- and then they'd be on their way out of London. Somewhere out there in the city, Evie Frye was working away to procure the documents you asked her to, you silently hoped Evie would not run into any complications.. You'd had your fill already.

You blinked, resting your chin in your hand and eyes narrowing.

... Jacob was out running about as well, doing god knows what. You hoped it was nothing too serious, and hoped he had done as you asked and begun looking into Starrick's Soothing Syrup.

 _Perhaps he's gone back to the Locomotive, given up for the day..._

 _... I know that's probably not even remotely true._

 **.:+:.**

Evie settled into a crouch, her boots clicking on the roof tiles as she overlooked the street and the large mansion settled before her- the glare of red bouncing around by the numerous Blighters and Templars milling about- most particularly around a carriage set in the driveway, to which crates were being stacked inside of.

"Those must be the documents.." Evie murmured under her breath, hands folding in front of her as her gaze scanned the surrounding area.

There was no way she'd be able to slip onto that carriage and steal the documents here, there were too many eyes and as per (F/N)'s request, she planned to remain undetected during this affair. Her best chance would be to follow the carriage to the station and slip aboard the train they were placed on. She'd need to locate the documents and slip back off the train without being caught- and of course, before the train left London itself.

Evie got to her feet, skirting the edge of the room, her shadow casting upon the tiles from the low orange glow of the setting sun behind her.

She'd spent the earlier portion of the day reviewing the papers that (F/N) had provided when they met at Henry's Curio Shop. It surprised her faintly how organized and well informed the woman seemed to be just based on the detail of the papers she had read- to which had detailed the estate in full, as well as the sorts of documents she was to be collecting. As well as information on a woman named Adelain Hrothgur, the Mark (F/N) had mentioned.

Adelain, as Henry has mentioned- seemed considerably dangerous. She had reports on her ranging from dozens to hundreds of related deaths and suspected murders. She had also apparently been in the service of the Templars for quite some time, and often did their dirty work- but she also held a great deal of respect from her underlings, though mostly fear. She was not unlike Ms. Thorne in that regard.

In all respects, it would not bode well to run into Adelain while on this venture.

Evie dropped skillfully down onto a lower building, jumping the gap with ease as she noticed the carriage begin to move. She made sure to keep it in her sights as she followed it's hurried movements across the tops of buildings, huffing slightly in effort and strain, dodging chimneys and moving with the agility of a cat.

The zip line shot from her gauntlet to the edge of a roof across a small square they passed through, her body meeting thin air as she jumped, the wire bouncing as she sped down through the air, closer and closer to the Station in Westminster- and further into territory where it would be unwise to be seen.

The station was crawling in red as she settled on the metal beams above the station, balancing perfectly as she pulled herself onto the narrow space. The Blighters were already working to move the crates onto the Train, under the careful watch of a woman with unusually blonde hair standing atop the platform overlooking the Station, her hands settled on the railing and eyes narrowed as she watched like a hawk. Evie stood up, holding to another beam adjacent for support, her attention turning to the woman as she clicked her tongue slightly.

"Well then.. That looks to be Adelain, if I had to guess from the description in the reports..." She cursed under her breath, "She must be truly concerned with these documents to be here overseeing them..."

 _I_ _suppose_ _that_ _makes_ _things_ _more_ _complicated... Especially_ _should_ _she_ _board_ _the_ _train._

Letting out a sigh, Evie made her way along the beams closer toward the train that was being loaded, glancing about for a way down that would allow her to remain unseen. There were still some civilians moving about the lower platform, in some places maybe enough to move toward the train without being spotted. Her eyes moved further, toward the other side of the train where civilians had stayed from, and was lined with crates, planters and benches that could be used as cover to make her way over toward the train.

Easily pulling the hood of her coat up to cover her face, she began lightly making her way down to the floor, sliding down a beam bolted to the wall and rolling deftly as she hit the bottom, pressing herself up against a bench for a moment. Two Blighters were moving back and forth up the platform on the other end of her hiding place, with three more standing in a group at the train's front entrance, others were milling about moving crates onto the train.

Evie glanced up toward the top section of the platform, seeing Adelain's eyes moving up and down the train, latched on to every moving figure in view, ever watchful, never missing a thing.

Even as far as she was from the woman she doubted she could make a break toward the train without being noticed by Adelain's watchful gaze.

A sudden ringing of a pistol shot outside the station caught both Evie's and Adelain's attentions, causing the latter to turn round toward the sudden sound of shouting and more shots being fired from outside. Evie blinked, pausing slightly in surprise at the sudden noise, before taking her chance to move quickly across toward the train while Adelain had her back turned.

Evie stepped lightly into one of the cars, pressing herself against the wall and glancing back to see Adelain met by a Blighter that had run up toward her, looking panicked.

"What's going on?" Evie managed to catch wisps of the voice, though she relied for most of it on reading the others lips.

"Its a band of those Rooks, they've got into a squabble with our boys outside." The Blighter replied,

"Are the twins with them?" Evie blinked, eyes narrowing slightly. She oh so hoped Jacob wasn't meddling outside.

"No ma'am, they're all alone." Adelain seemed to frown slightly, turning away from the Blighter and leaning over the railing.

"You lot! Load up the rest of the train, and get moving, quickly!" Adelain snapped in a low, angry voice that would send a chill down anyone's spine at the venom in it.

"Right away miss!"

Evie braced herself against the wall slightly as the train started off suddenly after hardly a moment or two of the Blighters hurrying to load the rest of the train. The wheels began creaking and crying against the rails as the brakes let off and the entire locomotive quickly gained speed out of the station. Her eyes trailed over toward the figure of Adelain, who watched only a moment as the train began to move off, before following the Blighter out toward the front of the station.

Evie glanced away, silently noting maybe it was luck that band of Rooks had caused a disturbance. Had that woman moved onto the train, her attempts at snatching the documents (F/N) had requested might have been harder, in her mind she remembered how serious Henry had been when he warned her of Adelain.

Evie cautiously made her way up toward the front of the train, dodging between crates and walls as she stayed low and alert to any sign of Blighters patrolling the cars. She couldn't kill any of them, corpses left in the cars may leave trace she had been here, and she needed them to never know she had been.

Evie paused, eyes closing a small moment as her senses cast out, trying to find that familiar glow of gold in the back of her mind that she hoped would indicate where the documents (F/N) wanted might be.

There was a small flicker of gold in the cart ahead of her, followed by the faint flicker of red from a Blighter in the car ahead of that one. Glancing from her cover, she could see said Blighter leaning against a crate, arms over their chest and muttering under his breath toward another Blighter pacing back and forth in front of him.

Evie held close along the wall, quietly slipping into the next cart and leaning up against a shelf a moment, before beginning to toy with the lock on the crate. She carefully pulled the lid open, grimancing slightly to find it filled with nothing but straw and a few pistols, she paused.

Very fine pistols.

"That Athernette bastard has Adelain working us to the bone."

"Tha' woman hasn't let us rest for weeks now, always barking orders."

"Did you hear what she did to Georgie? Strung 'im up like a pig and gutted 'um. Blood was everywhere."

"Psychotic bitch..."

Evie let the lid fall closed again, peering around the corner of her cover and eyes scanning to find more crates, or even a chest.

"... 'Is been worse since they 'ad us move everythin' from that warehouse in Southwark."

"Tha' one blew jus' the other day."

"Ya think they di' it on purpose?"

"Yea, Ah heard it was set ta blow. Whateva poor sod was in it at the time was blown ta bits."

 _That_ _must_ _be_ _the_ _warehouse (F/N) and_ _Jacob_ _were_ _caught_ _inside..._

It would seem as if the Templars assumed whoever had been inside the warehouse at the time must have died in the fire. Perhaps that was for the best, they may not be expecting for someone to look into their plans and business any longer now that they thought the original meddlers dead. That would give (F/N) and the Assassins the element of surprise when it came to looking into Adelain and Athernette's plans from now on, and it may well benefit them very well later on.

She'd have to mention as such to Miss (F/N) later when she delivered the requested documents.

Quickly slipping forward over to the next car and pressing herself up against the wall outside the doorway a moment, before quietly grabbing onto the roof of the car and pulling herself over the lip. She moved along the roof quickly, footsteps light and ever careful not to make a noise so she wouldn't alert the Blighters in the car below her feet.

She hopped across to the roof of the car ahead of her, and moved toward the far end before climbing back down. Evie slipped inside the car and carefully moved across toward a set corner of shelves and crates, noticing the lock snapped down on to one of the larger chests, and the faint glow of gold in her minds eye.

"So... Ya even know what tha' Athernette bloke is cookin' up?"

"No, bu' its somethin' nasty. Can 'ear people moanin' and cryin' in that lab 'o his sometimes."

"Bloody hell, ah've never met the bastard, er been near his... Expirementing."

"Trus' me, ya don' want ta meet 'im."

Evie paused as she began to pick the lock in the chest, her eyes wandering in the direction of the Blighters she could still hear talking away on the car she had left behind.

The documents she had received from (F/N) had little information on Athernette- she assumed because knowing more about the man was unnecessary for this assignment. But she had read nothing about a lab, or possible expirements on people, and for a moment wondered if (F/N) knew anything of that sort. And just what was she looking into concerning these Templars? Certainly things more serious and pressing than Evie had been aware of before now.

The lock clicked as the pin slid up and she was able to pull the lock open, her eyes moving back to the chest as she slid the lock from the match and quickly opened it up, revealing it to be filled with books and wrapped letters, with other various items. Evie's mouth twitched up in a small smirk as she leafed through the papers and found a bundle of what she was looking for near the bottom. She nudged the other papers and journals aside as she reached in an lightly lift the papers from inside the bottom of the chest.

She hissed as a stack tumbled in her rifling, she had been attempting to leave the contents as undisturbed as she could and quickly went to place them back as they had been, but stopped short. Her blue gazefell upon the bonded together form of the gauntlets of twin Hidden Blades tucked away along the side of the chest, wire wrappings holding them to each other as one.

The gauntlets looked dated in comparison to the ones that she and her brother sported, and those Twin Blades that (F/N) had herself, but they looked no worse for wear in their older age. Evie placed the requested documents on the floor of the car beside her, and took a moment to pull the Hidden Blades from the chest, holding them lightly in her hands and eyes narrowed in surprise.

The metal of the blades glinted in the far lamp light outside the car, polished and well looked after, and sharpened to a deadly point. The leather binding along the gauntlet was studded with silver and brass fixings, and the straps were worn but were still in well repair, and the springs were oiled and lacked rust. It looked as if whoever the owner of the weapons was had cared for them deeply, and kept them working and running well even after the parts and the pieces grew older.

Evie bit her lip, thinking of what ill end the Assassin these had belonged to must have come to, to land the blades here in the property of Templar Adelain Hrothgur. She flipped the gauntlets over, tracing the bottom, expecting her fingers to trace across the imprinted symbol of the Brotherhood upon the leather, or even a small metal pendent strapped to the base- but she found none of the sort, and instead for a moment her heart jumped slightly in utter shock.

A gold and red pendent of the Templar Cross was strapped to the base, stuck into the leather by a pin underneath it, and this symbol remained on both pairs of Hidden Blades.

 _Why on earth... Would a pair of an Assassin's Hidden Blades bear the mark of a Templar..?_

The cry of the train's bell made her jump slightly, pulling her from her questioning of the blades, and quickly pulling her attention toward the sight of thinning buildings outside the car as the train pulled up to the edge of London and toward the country. Evie quickly placed the blades back in the chest and replaced the lock, placing the documents she had taken inside her coat and quickly heading toward the entrance to the car.

Evie jumped from the train, rolling as she hit the ground and pulling herself into the shadow of the wall of the cut into the earth the tracks ran through, glancing back as the train continued on its way out of London, entirely unaware she had been aboard at all. As was the intention of course... But that image still stood in her mind as she left the train and the Blighters behind.

 _Assassins Blades... With the mark of a Templar._

 **.:+:.**

Of course he hadn't listened, he never listened.

Perhaps he had a little, or at least attempted as such. He had gone to the market to investigate the Syrup, but that had only ended him with a goose chase and very little information that he hadn't had before now. And then he seemed to hit a wall, and couldn't convince himself to keep forward. His head wasn't cooperating, he had no want to investigate the syrup, and for it he couldn't focus on it either.

Incessantly his mind wandered to one person, one person who was more a mystery than anyone he had ever come across, and the one person he cared about at the moment. She had officially taken hold of his mind, and once that became true, she would eventually be the reason for his actions as well.

 _Damn_ _it, you_ _are_ _obsessed_ _Jacob_ _you_ _bloody_ _oaf._

Jacob grimaced at the thought, pressing himself up against the brick wall beside him as he motioned for his Rooks to pull up behind him. His dark gaze fell across the station set before him, the area teeming with red as Blighters moved in and out, controlling and directing the flow of patrons into and out of the station with gruff voices and rough hands. He hadn't been able to make it inside, but he had seen there were more Blighters here than usual, and that was cause for attention.

This had nothing to do with (F/N), he was certain of it... Alright, perhaps _mostly_ certain.

He may have caught sight of a certain blonde with a scar over her eye move inside the station- the very description of Ms. Adelain Hrothgur.

He just wanted to peek inside, see what the Templars were up to. That was all.

The Rooks were to distract the Blighters long enough to allow him to slip inside unnoticed, that was all.

 _That_ _is_ _all._

Somehow he couldn't quite convince himself.

Jacob nodded to the Rooks behind him and waved his hand forward in signal for them to move forward. Jacob turned the corner and started down toward another alley as his Rooks slowly moved into position, awaiting his final order to move in and strike.

Jacob stopped in an alleyway, pressed up against the wall between it and some crates, his dark eyes tracing a small, narrow beeline that extended from where he was, around the corner in front of him, across the road, and through a side doorway into the station that would hopefully be left unoccupied by Blighters once his Rooks moved in. There were dozens of the Blighters crawling around the station, too much for himself to take on, and in all honesty- too much for the Rooks he brought with him, but they were ordered only to fight until he was clear and then they needed to run.

Bracing himself for a quick sprint across the road, Jacob raised a hand and caught the watchful eye of a Rook across the way from him, there was a small nod exchanged between the both of them, and the Rooks charged in.

Gunshot rung on the air as people shouted and cursed at one another. The firing of the Rooks was quickly met by that of the Blighters, as the flock of red moved in toward the small group of green in front of the Station, posts abandoned.

Jacob's person tensed, as he quickly stepped out from the alley and started forward, eyes trained to his entryway.

He came up short, his body teetering backwards as something hard grabbed to the back of his coat and yanked him backward with incredible force.

"The bloody hell?!" He yelped slightly, arms waving as he felt himself fall back and suddenly unbalanced.

He lost his footing, stumbling backward and rolling slightly as he felt another pull at his coat and he was shoved to the ground. He rolled back and scrambled to gain his footing, letting out a few choice curses as he stood up again quickly, fists clenched and dark eyes narrowed in anger and annoyance at the arrival he hadn't noticed until they pulled his arse through the dirt.

"Bloody bastard!" Jacob snapped, his dark eyes leveling with the calm grey ones of the man in front of him. The man was tall and gangly with long limbs and dull grey eyes- a sea of messy brown hair swept away from his eyes and a long patchwork coat that had seen one too many half-assed tailors. He was thin, his trousers ripped and sewn nearly as much as his coat, though he seemed somewhat well kept and even regal for some reason. He stood tall and nearly proud, even daunting as he rest his cane in front of him and folded his hands across the wolf's head handle.

"Now I wouldn't go doing that if I were you, Mr. Frye." The man smirked slightly, eyes glinting under the top hat he wore atop his head, the dark gray ribbon tied about it was long and dangling off on the back and brushing his shoulder slightly. "You're services would be rather unwanted here at the moment. Its best you leave well enough alone, and go back to your own business."

"And who the hell are you, to be telling me what it is I should be minding?" Jacob grumbled crossly, ever aware of the sound of his Rooks fighting just ahead in the street outside the station. The man smiled slightly, looking a little amused, his eyes glinting.

"I do believe your sister is already inside on a rather delicate matter. It would do her, nor you, any good to go barging in now." The man murmured, completely ignoring Jacob's question. "It would ba shame should you muck it up for her. I'm sure she, as well as Ms. (L/N) will be rather unhappy with you if you do."

Jacob paused, quirking an eyebrow at that considerably interested at the sudden mention of (F/N).

 _Hold a moment... Does that...?!_

"You mean bloody _Evie_ is working something for (F/N) now..?!" Jacob hissed, sounding a little defensive, and maybe a little unhappy. Why would (F/N) call on his sister and not _him_?!

"Indeed." The man smirked, "And it would be unwise to stick your nose in your sister's business, Mr. Frye." The man cocked his head slightly, "I had thought you were looking into Mr. Starrick's Soothing Syrup." Jacob grimaced slightly, eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion.

"And how are you so knowledgeable, eh?" Jacob murmured lowly. "You working for (F/N) too?"

He _laughed_.

Jacob blinked, a little taken aback by the sudden laughing and the amused smirk the man wore as he shook his head, grey eyes glinting.

"Work for her?" The man repeated, his hands resting in the can in front of him as he rocked back on his heels a moment. "Ah, that would be quite something- if I did at any rate. No, I don't work for (F/N)," The man's eyes glinted under the shadow his hat cast about his face.

"I don't work for anyone, Mr. Frye. No one, but myself."

The man smiled and waved a hand at Jacob, the sudden foreboding sense that had grown about the man dissipated- suddenly Jacob was very sure he had seen this man somewhere before now, though he couldn't place where.

"Ah. Well, I've had a few of my men collect your Rooks. You ought to leave now before Adelain decides to make an appearance, Mr. Frye." The man smirked, taking a step back with a small, nearly jesting bow toward Jacob. Jacob quirked an eyebrow at the name, dark eyes glinting in intrigue.

He was only faintly aware of hearing the gunshot on the air suddenly fading,

The other man seemed to notice his interest and smirked.

"Now now Mr. Frye... I can tell you'd like to meet Ms. Adelain, but I don't think that will do." The man smirked, his hand moving into his pocket as he pulled a coin purse from it.

Jacon's eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed in anger.

"What in the..?! That's my coinpurse!" Jacob snapped, the man chuckled and started backing off more.

"I suppose you'd like it back then?" He murmured, turning quickly on his heel and running.

"You're going to have to catch me then, Mr. Frye!"

"Bloody bastard!" Jacob snapped, sprinting after the man, his intrigue in Adelain completely destroyed.

Yes, he had been thinking he'd introduce himself to the woman, considering he had heard so much about her in the course of whatever business (F/N) was involved in. And that man had apparently known it as well, which was why he had snatched his coin purse out from under him.

That man moved considerably fast for someone so gangly, and Jacob soon found himself huffing in effort as he started weaving through buildings, alleyways and streets after the man- who always seemed to keep just ahead of him, too far to reach, and remained that way as they drew farther and farther away from the station and the train in which Evie had stole away on.

"Oi! Get back here!" Jacob yelled, huffing and puffing as he struggled to keep up.

 _How in the hell is he so damned fast?!_

Jacob skid to a half halt as he struggled to round a corner, stumbling slightly as he turned in toward another alley and stopped sudeenly, panting as his eyes landed on the man he had been chasing, who now stood on the edge of the roof at the end of the alleyway, hands on his hips and smirking as he looked down at Javib, and waved a gloved hand.

"I look forward to our next meeting, Mr. Frye." The man called lightly,

"Don't think you're getting away with stealing from me!" Jacob snapped, stepping forward and arm raising as he prepared to shoot his grappling hook onto the edge of the roof.

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it." The man smiled, "Westminster."

Jacob paused, eyes narrowed and brow quirking at the sudden name.

"Excuse me?"

"Westminster, Mr. Frye. Try there to amuse yourself." The man replied, tipping his hat to the younger Frye.

The man easily moved off out of Jacob's sight as he rushed forward, the wire and hook springing from his gauntlet as he pulled up onto the roof, seeing the man seemed to have disappeared entirely.

Jacob's gaze moved across the tiles as his attention focused to the figure of his coin purse left atop the shillings, Jacob bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head in agitation, before swooping down to snatch his purse back up again.

Who in the hell was that...? For some reason that man still struck him as familiar, and still he couldn't place why.

Jacob turned and faced the dying light of the sun overhead as it began to sink on the horizon, the glow of orange casting out over the roofs of London.

".. Westminster...?"

 **.:+:.**

 _"How_ _dare_ _you?! You_ _filthy, wild_ _girl!"_

 _You_ _felt_ _a_ _searing_ _stinging_ _sensation_ _wash_ _over_ _your_ _cheek, right_ _where_ _her_ _hand_ _had made_ _contact_ _with_ _it. You_ _winced_ _slightly, bit_ _otherwise_ _stood_ _your_ _ground_ _against_ _her_ _seething_ _gaze_ _and_ _brimming_ _anger, arms_ _hooked_ _behind_ _your_ _back_ _and_ _standing_ _tall._

 _Stand_ _straight, be_ _poised, don't_ _speak_ _unless_ _spoken_ _to, be_ _polite_ _and_ _courteous._

 _Be_ _a_ _Lady._

 _You_ _felt_ _your_ _hatred_ _stirring_ _inside_ _of_ _you_ _deeper_ _still._

 _"Not_ _only_ _do_ _you_ _behave_ _like_ _an_ _animal, you_ _go_ _so_ _far_ _as_ _to_ _insult_ _the_ _guests_ _in_ _my_ _own_ _household! How_ _dare_ _you?!" She_ _shrilled, oh_ _how_ _you_ _hated_ _her_ _voice._

 _"Your_ _uncle_ _will_ _not_ _tolerate_ _the_ _likes_ _of_ _you_ _and_ _your_ _behavior! And_ _I_ _will_ _not_ _either!"_

 _You_ _watched_ _as_ _crimson_ _liquid_ _suddenly_ _fell_ _down_ _over_ _her_ _form, her_ _twisted_ _angry_ _expression_ _slowly turning_ _to_ _one_ _of_ _horror, disbelief_ _and_ _pain._

 _You_ _felt_ _your_ _lips_ _twitch_ _upward_ _in_ _a_ _murderous_ _smile. Felt_ _the_ _blood_ _on_ _your_ _hands_ _as_ _you_ _held_ _the_ _sword_ _lightly_ _in_ _your_ _grip, standing_ _over_ _her_ _as_ _her_ _life_ _dripped_ _away_ _in_ _a_ _pool_ _of_ _scarlet._

 _"I_ _told_ _you_ _I_ _would_ _kill_ _you."_

 _"...m... Monster..."_

 **.:+:.**

 **Alright! Another** **chapter** **up** **and** **the** **next** **one** **soon** **hopefully!**

 **Thanks** **for** **reading!**


	10. Chapter 9- A Day For Revelry

_London, 1868- Westminster  
_

 _"The_ _World_ _is_ _a_ _game_ _my_ _dear, and true_ _players_ _are_ _those_ _who_ _win. Everyone_ _else_ _is_ _expendable, and_ _the_ _losers-_ _they_ _lie_ _six_ _feet_ _in_ _the_ _earth_ _below_ _you. In_ _this_ _game_ _there_ _is_ _no_ _room_ _for_ _losers."_

 **.:+:.**

 _"Monster!"_

Your consciousness jerked from the wash of shadow twirling about your mind, your head lifting from the desk as you struggled to shake away your exhaustion again.

You rubbed your hands against your face and let out a sigh, swallowing against the incoming sensation in your ragged throat that would lead to coughing.

Unsurprisingly, the sound of the fighting going on on the floor below you still raged on, whistles, shouting and cheer as men groaned in pain and anger in the ring. Your eyes slowly cast toward the candle on the edge of the desk, and the wax dripping into the basin slowly. You must have dozed off without meaning to, and only for an hour or two from the looks of it.

 _Damn_ _it._

You pushed your hair back from your face and slowly got to your feet, your legs shook a little in protest and your head spun a moment, causing you to stop and lean against the desktop with your hands, head bowed a moment and eyes closed.

Your attention moved toward the small steaming cup of liquid set on the desk near you, blinking you slowly lift the still warm drink to your nose and breathed in the sweet, herbal smell that flowed from the cup.

Tea.

You smiled slightly, wondering faintly who had come in and brought you it- two people came to mind, but it mattered very little.

You took a sip, the warm liquid trickling down your aching and burned throat with a somewhat pleasant, somewhat painful sensation. Your fingers wrapped around the cup as you held it lightly to your lips in near silence a moment, the noise from downstairs seemed to fade to nothing.

For a small brief moment all your thoughts and wonderings seemed to fade to nothing, and your mind reveled in the sudden, blissful emptiness of it.

You took a few more drinks from the cup and gently set it back down on the desktop half empty. You moved away from the desk and toward the door on the opposite end of the study, turning the knob you stepped inside and sighed.

 _Betrayed...from someone on the inside._

The next room had a few more shelves fill of books, and a chest in the corner. There was also a small bed and a dresser, as well as a desk stacked with various items of various caliber and use.

You unbuckled the straps about your neck and moved across toward the dresser, untying the tie that held your hair up and slowly working the braids loose, as your (H/C) hair tumbled about your shoulders in a gentle river.

 _... Someone_ _who_ _managed_ _to_ _go_ _behind_ _my_ _back... And_ _warn_ _Adelain, or Athernette that_ _I_ _was_ _looking_ _into_ _that_ _warehouse..._

You began to unbuckle the straps around your torso and on your gauntlets, sliding the twin blades from your arms and setting them down on the top of the dresser. Your (E/C) eyes moved up toward the mirror set atop it, locking onto yourself as you shrugged your overcoat from your shoulders.

.. _Hmph_... You suppose you did look awful.

 _Damn_ _it._

You started unbuckling and removing the leather corset about your torso and all other bits of armor you had on over your simple white shirt, removing your belt you set that on the table as well. You set your weapons down across the bed as well.

You continued on until you were in nothing but your shirt, your pants and your boots. You rolled up your sleeves as you leaned against the dresser with your hands and let your eyes close, your hair falling about your shoulders and neck as you hung your head a little.

Your eyes opened slightly to slowly trace the faint scar stamped to the skin on your upper right forearm, and grimaced slightly at the shape it resembled clearly.

Then you glanced toward the fresh line running across your other arm- among many others since being hit by flying shards and wood and glass in the warehouse, but this one- this one was thanks to Jacob. It was the hit he had managed when you first introduced yourself to the twins.

You smiled just faintly, and stepped away from the dresser.

You still stunk of the filth of the Thames, and you attributed some of the pounding in your head toward that.

You moved toward yet another door that lead out of the room, slowly unbuttoning your shirt as you moved toward it, casting a small glance outside you saw the sun was almost set.

Evie should be returning soon to deliver the documents you had requested... But you would rather freshen up before meeting the elder Frye.

 _Hopefully_ _the_ _documents_ _she_ _brings_ _will_ _shed_ _some_ _light_ _on_ _what_ _I_ _need_ _do_ _next..._

 _Hopefully._

 **.:+:.**

You stepped from the sideroom out into the study, wearing now a different overcoat that was black and trimmed in crimson, with a clean, fresh white shirt underneath. You had also chosen to switch out the boots you had previously been wearing, as the soles had started to thin from the extensive amount of walking and climbing you were used to. Along with those, you had replaced your armor, belt, and weapons.

You had braided your hair back and pinned it up again as well, as well as cleaned and bandaged the cuts and scratches you had gained from the warehouse explosion.

The important thing was you looked less haggard now than you had, and no longer carried with you the distinct, yet somewhat subtle stench of the Thames.

The sound of the fight club below you filtered back into the back of your senses as you stepped into the study once more, you moved back toward the desk.

You lightly took the tea back up, still lukewarm, and moved across toward the railing over looking the ground floor. Your eyes moved across the bustling and crying crowds as you remained on the lookout for Evie Frye, in the reports you had given her earlier you had requested she deliver the documents here.

You slowly began finishing your tea as you kept searching the crowds a moment, before your attention moved over toward the ring.

"Ladies and gentleman! Gather round, gather round!" Mr. Topping called, lightly jumping atop a table near the edge of the ring as he raised his voice above the roaring of the crowds.

"I know you've all been waiting for a good show tonight!" Topping called, moving in small steps up and down his perch upon the table, everyone's eyes in the building suddenly turned toward him. "The lads so far have been amusing to watch, but I think we need a fight that we will all _really_ remember, eh?" The crowd shouted in pleasure and agreement around him, he smirked slightly. "I am sure all you honored guests will enjoy our next contestant!"

Robert Toppings eyes swiftly moved upward to catch yours, directing your attention to him as he smirked at you. You smiled just slightly, nodding your head to him just slightly to show you were listening- and that as usual, he was doing his job well. He wasn't your employee, no- but he did abide by your rules while under this roof, you did own the building after all.

"(F/N)."

You glanced sideways at the voice, smiling slightly as your eyes landed on Evie, who nodded her head at you and stopped just to the side.

"Ah, Evie." You smiled, "I trust everything went well?"

"As well as can be expected. Though there was some sort of commotion that broke outside the station while I was there." Evie replied as her hand reached into her coast as she produced a set of folded papers toed in a string, she lightly handed them your way. You blinked once at the mention of a commotion, you hadn't been aware of any conflict brewing near the station beforehand, you'd have to have Hector or one of your other workers collect some information on what happened- but that was for later.

You reached forward and took the documents from her easily, smiling slightly as you dipped your head her way.

"Many thanks," you murmured lightly. "I have little doubt these will prove useful in my research. You've done me a great favor, Evie. I won't soon forget it."

"My pleasure." Evie replied lightly. "Are you feeling alright?" You blinked as she tilted her head toward you slightly. "You certainly look better." She added, you smiled slightly giving her a small nod.

"I do, you needn't worry yourself about me." You replied quickly, you didn't like being looked after, or having an eye kept on you. And you certainly didn't want anyone consciously worrying over your health either. Too much attention put you on edge.

"Have you by chance seen my brother?" Evie murmured, catching your attention where you had been about to turn your attention to the ring below you. You glanced back her way, blinking once at the sudden question. You tilted your head just slightly,

"You've still not seen him since before our excursion?" You asked, your voice giving way to your slight surprise for a small moment. Evie shook her head, a small sigh escaping her lips as she leaned against the railing with her hands.

"Its not unlike him to go disappearing for a few days, I just had thought I would have run into him by now." Evie sighed, sounding exasperated and even a little annoyed... But you heard something else in her voice. Something it seemed she tried to mask, maybe out of stubbornness or pride... But it was concern.

She hid it well, Evie... But she was concerned about what had become of her brother. And it worried her how he had seemed to disappear just after the warehouse debacle.

You blinked once, your eyes resting on Evie as she simply looked down at the fight going below. You were becoming increasingly interested in what had become of Jacob Frye now, seeing how long he seemed to be gone. Perhaps he had done as you asked of him, and turned his attention to the Soothing Syrup. And for it he was busy, out and about chasing down sellers and distribution of the foul concoction.

A small corner of your mind also had you wondering if perhaps Jacob had been affected as you had by the fire and the gas. When you had left him he seemed quite alright, and you had done your best to make sure he didn't inhale any of the gas you had seen, but still you wondered.

 _Hmm, wondering_ _about_ _Jacob_ _Frye. It_ _seems_ _to_ _be_ _becoming_ _a_ _habit._

"I'm quite sure Jacob is out causing fights and drinking his time away, he usually is. I wouldn't worry over his whereabouts." You told Evie lightly, you didn't catch her gaze as you looked away and she glanced toward you again. You waved a hand lightly, tucking the tied together documents under your arm. "I assure you nothing awful has befallen him, I would have heard about it. He'll be back at your hideout before you even realize it."

Evie's eyes seemed fixed on you, looking slightly searching for a moment. Evie blinked at what you said, and how calm you seemed to be on the matter. She wasn't sure why you seemed to have faith in Jacob's safety, especially if it was clear you had no idea where he was.. So your certainty shocked her.

But for whatever reason, there was suddenly a sort of innate sense in Evie, and she trusted your words nearly instantly. She nodded slightly, smiling just faintly as her freckles pulled and she glanced away again, stepping back from the railing and crossing her arms behind her back.

"I suppose you're right." She murmured, you nodded slightly. She turned toward you, her icy blue gaze settled as you glanced her way, "I'll be returning to see if Mr. Green has made any progress in the documents we received from the Kenway mansion." You nodded,

"Thank you again, Ms. Frye." You murmured,

"I think I should be the one thanking you." She replied, "It was at your suggestion that I search the Kenway mansion, after all." You shrugged slightly,

"It was my pleasure." Evie nodded slightly and turned on her heel, making her way back down the stairs with a small goodbye called over her shoulder. You watched her go, smirking slightly to see she avoided the gaze of Robert Topping as she passed near to him- you chuckled, having heard how Topping and Ms. Frye first met one another.

 _Say_ _hello_ _to_ _Henry_ _for_ _me, Evie..._ You smirked at the thought. Oh it was amusing, and somewhat adorable.

The crowd below you was growing louder, though you hardly gave it any attention. You pulled one of the folded papers Evie had given you from under your arm, opening it with your thumb you leaned against the railing with your elbows and set to read it.

 _A_ _manifest_ _of_ _the_ _people_ _Adelain_ _has_ _working_ _under_ _her..._ You smirked wryly, your (E/C) eyes tracing over every name, imprinting them on your mind. You read across the scribbled and slanted print that you knew and recognized all too well to be the hand of Ms. Hrothgur.

You'd have to send some of your people to tail these names, they may lead you somewhere splendid.

 _Perfect._

So immersed in your small victory you hardly cared nor noticed the floor below you was absolutely rotating now, accompanied by the sound of fists slamming against bodies in rapid succession.

 _Adelain_ _dear, you_ _really_ _should_ _learn_ _to_ _never_ _write_ _such_ _things_ _down_ _unless_ _you_ _intend_ _to_ _keep_ _them_ _with_ _you_ _at_ _all_ _times. You_ _never_ _learn._

"No!"

"The bloody hell?! How many was that?!'

"Say hello to our new champion, ladies and gentlemen!"

You tucked the paper back into the stack, still smiling as the noise below grew all the louder. You began to turn away, intent on heading toward your desk again.

"Oh?! It seems you have more challengers! I'm you won't disappoint Mr. Frye!"

You stopped, your eyes widening slightly as the voice of Robert Topping reached you from the shooting and the cheering of the for below you.

 _You_ _must_ _be_ _joking._

You turned back toward the railing slowly, eyes narrowed and fingers wrapping about three bundle of documents a bit more tightly.

After everything, disappearing, and clearly disregarding your request for him to continue with Starrick's Soothing Syrup, he wondered about and came here? Of all places?

When in the bloody hell did he get here anyway?!

Your leaned over the railing slightly with your elbows, your hands wrapping about your arms lightly. There was a blur of bloodied and bruised bodies moving about and lying in the ring, work one blur in particular that was moving between the moving bodies. Your eyes narrowed to see flashes of a raven and a cross tattooed across his chest, his eyes glinting and smirking slightly as he worked to beat the advancing enemies around him into submission with what looked like the utmost ease.

He looked like he was having a grand old time... You couldn't help but smirk a little yourself.

He was positively _brutal._

Those Blighters that jumped in over the edge of that ring did so at their own expense. Jacob was working his way through them steadily, moving with quick, violent blows that broke bones and splattered blood across the floor of the ring. You could hear their arms being shattered as Jacob made his way through the sorry lot, you could hear their screams and moans of pain and agony even above that of the crowd as all your attention turned toward the fight.

Despite yourself, you found that you were rather enjoying the violence, as a smirk grew across your face and the smell of blood, sweat, fear, rage, and pain wafted up from the floor below you.

 _Don't look so pleased, it's unbecoming._

 _Oh, but this is entertaining._

 _In the most sadistic of ways perhaps._

 _Sod it if it's sadistic, we both know this is what I like most about my job._

 _Violence._

You smirked, shaking your head at yourself slightly as you watched intently.

Whether or not you would tell him directly, Jacob was a splendid fighter, though perhaps not as good as you in your better days... But he was certainly splendid. You did enjoy watching him work away,

Now if only his behavior was as refined as his fighting skills. Perhaps things would have less chance of getting out of hand that way...

... That wasn't likely to happen, at least not anytime soon. You were however a little concerned, Jacob didn't seem to take his actions into account or the consequences that could become of them... You were certain some day his behavior would bite him in the ass, and the outcome would surely be unpleasant.

 _... Perhaps_ _he'll_ _get_ _someone_ _killed_ _he_ _shouldn't..._

 _... Or_ _someone_ _will_ _get_ _him_ _killed_ _should_ _he_ _place_ _faith_ _in_ _them_ _where_ _he_ _shouldn't have._

Your grip about your arms tightened a moment, your eyes narrowed as your smirk faded.

 _Some_ _day... his_ _world_ _will_ _cease_ _to_ _be_ _as_ _he_ _has_ _been_ _seeing_ _it._

You sighed and shook off the thoughts. Another time with that.

With a cry of pain and a sudden uproar of the crowd, Jacob dispatched the last of his challengers. He smirked, his eyes scanning the crowds as Robert hopped into the run, looking pleased as he should- Jacob was sure to bring in a lot of coin with his fights.

"Ladies and gentleman! Our Champion!"

Jacob's keen dark gaze swept over the heads of the crowd with little interest, his signature smirk on his lips and looking so very alive and energetic despite the obvious bruising and blood from those few and far hits he had taken. His eyes moved quickly, before flicking upward, for a moment he seemed slightly surprised, before intrigue set in, his eyes glinting as they caught yours, and he smirked a little more.

You let out a breath, allowing a small amused smile to grace your lips as you dipped your head toward the Frye in silent acknowledgment.

 _.. One_ _day... His_ _world_ _will_ _tip_ _and_ _he'll_ _realize_ _not_ _everything_ _is_ _a_ _game..._

You smirked a little more, your (E/C) eyes glinting, for the first time in a long while since meeting you, Jacob saw that spark of amusement and merriment alight in you again.

 _... But_ _for_ _now, I'll_ _let_ _you_ _revel_ _in_ _your_ _fun, and_ _you_ _can_ _continue_ _playing_ _this_ _little game, Jacob._

 **.:+:.**

 **Small** **Chapter** **before** **we** **jump** **into** **the** **next (darker) bit.**

 **Thanks** **for** **reading** **guys! Votes** **and** **Comments** **are** **always** **appreciated!**


	11. Chapter 10- A Turn Toward The Underworld

_London, 1868_ \- _The Thames_

 _"You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other."_

~ _John Adams_

 **.:+:.**

The deep shadows cast by falling twilight stretched across the murky surface of the ever churning Thames, boats rolling by and the air cached with acrid, hot black clouds spewing from the engines. Nightfall did little to curve the activity of the foul water, though the darkness did cast a deeper sense of danger on the area. One could imagine and feel glittering eyes full of malice and murder watching your movement along the shoreline, the suspicious and dark glances by those who rest upon boats passing by as the waves crashed against the oily, blackened shoreline.

Your boots crunched against the soot slicked stones as you passed along the dirty waterfront, your hood up to shadow your face and your walk purposeful as you made your way forward, flanking the small stained stone wall that created the entrance to the sewers running beneath London.

 _'While_ _I_ _was_ _aboard_ _the_ _Train_ _headin_ g from _London_ _I_ _overheard_ _the_ _Blighters_ _talking_ _about_ _the_ _Warehouse_ _you_ _and_ _Jacob_ _were_ _involved_ _in_ _when_ _it_ _caught_ _fire. As_ _far_ _as_ _they are_ _concerned, whoever_ _it_ _was_ _who_ _was_ _caught_ _in_ _the_ _blaze_ _has_ _perished. Whether_ _or_ _not_ _this_ _is_ _a_ _view_ _shared_ _by_ _their_ _superiors, I_ _am_ _not_ _sure, but_ _perhaps_ _the_ _Templars_ _will_ _assume_ _the_ _threat_ _has_ _been_ _neutralized._

 _Another_ _note, in_ _the_ _documents_ _you_ _gave_ _me_ _before_ _I_ _left_ _there_ _was_ _nothing_ _mentioning_ _another, somewhat_ _disturbing, conversation_ _I_ _overhead_ _from_ _the_ _Blighters_ _in_ _the_ _Train. On_ _the_ _chance_ _you_ _know_ _nothing_ _of_ _it, I'll_ _mention_ _it._

 _The_ _Blighters_ _were_ _discussing_ _Horace Athernette and_ _mentioned_ _he_ _was_ _performing_ _expirements_ _of_ _some_ _sort_ _on_ _people, and_ _that_ _they_ _stemmed_ _out_ _of_ _a_ _Lab. If_ _you_ _are_ _aware_ _of_ _this, ignore_ _what_ _I_ _have_ _said, otherwise_ _perhaps_ _that's_ _something_ _more_ _you'd_ _like_ _to_ _look_ _into._

 _Sincerely,_  
 _Evie_ _Frye'_

Your eyes narrowed slightly as the neat script of Evie's handwriting suddenly invaded your mind's eye. The note had been tucked in the documents she had given you, she must have been trying to return to her search of the Kenway Mansion documents as quickly as she could, otherwise she may have taken the time to tell you personally.

The news the Blighters thought whoever had invaded the warehouse to be dead was new, though a part of you really doubted Adelain would assume you were dead, if she was aware it had been you to meddle in her affairs in the first place. Which, may have been unlikely if it hadn't already been made clear that someone had betrayed you to the Templars already.

You surpressed the sudden rise of anger inside of you, you had to keep a level head about you, especially here. It wouldn't do for unwanted attention.

 _Then why did you ask him along?_

 _He won't be anywhere near this... Not for a long while. I have time._

 _He's not known for showing up at the proper time._

You sighed at yourself, every once and a while the constant bickering between the reasonable and unreasonable portions of your mind (or perhaps they could be the pessimistic and optimistic) grew wearisome.

... A necessary evil perhaps. If one were to exist without the other, there was no telling how unruly your actions could become.

... Should he be overzealous, and arrive before the specified time, you should already be long since finished with your business here. That would be best after all... These are things that really did not concern him, or anyone.

You stiffled the cough rising up your throat, shallow as it was, it was still a bother. The last four days of pouring over papers and discussing back and forth with your contacts had helped your damaged health... But still, that burned and aching sensation in your throat and chest persisted. It was a relief the dizziness only reared its head should you exert yourself too much over too long a time.

You paused slightly, your (E/C) eyes glinting from the shadow of your hood as you faced a deep, black opening in the stone wall. The shadows crept out from the depths as night fell heavier behind you, curling up from the depths to stop at your feet. The distant, cold ring of water dripping from stone echoed toward you, coupled by something else. Something like the ring of feet shuffling, and the muffled humm of hushed voices whispering among the shadows. The faint patter of vermin feet scurrying over stone.

The entrance to the underworld, right through this opening. To a world of murder, where the dead are left to rot and screams of terror are left unheard by anyone, but the devil himself...

 _... Its_ _an_ _odd_ _thing, this_ _place_ _is_ _more_ _familiar_ _than_ _home_ _ever_ _was..._

You cast the thoughts from your mind, eyes closing as you tightened the buckle around your neck. Your fingers curled about the straps on your bracers.

You walked into the deepset shadows of the sewer tunnels, your boots clicking against the grime and the slick of the trickling water. You moved further into the darkness, eyes trained ahead to the shadows and ears trained to every noise, every sound. You moved further and further into that cold, dark abyss of the London Underground, with nothing but the evil and the dead for company.

Glittering eyes watched your form melt away in to the shadow from across the dirty flow of the Thames, their face covered by the deep shade of their hat. An orange glow illuminated from the cigarette burning lowly in their teeth, their fingers twirlng about a match as they balanced nearly perfectly upon the beam of a docked ship near the entrance to the sewers.

You left the world behind without a word, and without any idea of the silent figure watching.

"(L/N)..."

 **.:+:.**

Pale grey and turquoise light filtered in over the Thames, boats rolling from the docks and crashing against the churning waters as the city awoke from its deep, brooding slumber of the night. You blinked slightly, leaning against a bench on the dockside and twirling a small piece of paper between your fingers as you kept your arms crossed, your attention sweeping about the mass of people moving by as the streets filled up. You remained in the shadow of the small building set behind you, hood still up and saying not a word, nor moving beside your fingers.

"Ah, good to see you again love." Jacob smirked, he drew up beside you after having rounded the corner. Your attention moved toward him, blinking once as he gave you that sly smirk he always seemed to wear.

 _Only_ _one_ _person_ _would_ _ever_ _dare_ _call_ _me_ _that..._

You folded the paper between your fingers instantly, allowing a small, faint and nearly imperceptible smile as you dipped your head his way.

"Good morning, Mr. Frye." You replied easily, he feigned mock disappointment a moment.

"Ah, I thought we were calling one another by our first names?" He smirked, his eyes moving up and down your form as his eyes narrowed for a moment.

You blinked, your fingers sliding to place the small scrap of paper in your coat as you took notice of the look.

You knew this look, you'd seen it twice now before. Once just after the debacle with the Warehouse, and a second time four days prior, in Westminster.

That look of searching, he was looking you up and down, taking special notice of your movement, your reaction, everything.

This look was driven by something you hadn't seen in him before your actions in the Warehouse. Before then his searching had been filled by intrigue, he had been looking hoping to learn something new, to understand you better... But _this_ look. It was fueled by something deeper, something more pressing, something foreign... And something you were not entirely comfortable with either.

 _Concern_

Of course he had noticed your off behavior after the fire, and perhaps it was no wonder he was looking to make sure you were... Well, _well._

But why he was suddenly concerned was a mystery, and you weren't really keen on his sudden show of compassion either... It was too close.

He had been keen on making sure you were alright in Westminster as well, he had settled this look on you as he came up to the second floor after his fight. Though perhaps he should have been paying more attention to his own injury, and less to you- you would have certainly appreciated that better.

Casting your sudden uneasiness aside from the look, you rolled your eyes and shook your head at him in slight exasperation.

"You're chipper for someone up so early." You replied back easily, "Especially so, considering how busy you've lately been regarding your inquiries with Starrick's Syrup."

"Informed as ever love," he smirked, leaning against the bench with a hand while the other rest on his hip.

"Am I to assume your work with the Syrup has brought you closer to a target then?" You murmured,

"Ah, indeed." He smiled, "It would seem that a Mr. John Elliottson is at the head of the Syrup's distribution." You nodded slightly,

"Then you'll be heading to the Asylum." You replied, "Should be an interesting adventure for you, it'll be hard to navigate through those halls without causing a fuss." You're eyes glinted slightly as you shot him a look from the side. "And I think we both know stealth is not one of your strong suits." He scoffed a little, pointedly looking away as if you had offended him by the comment.

"That's harsh love," he replied, "I am more than capable of being subtle when I choose to be."

"Oh I'm sure." You replied, your tone full of barely contained mockery.

"Care to test your suspicions then?" He smiled, you blinked, an eyebrow raising slightly in question. Jacob's eyes sparkled in challenge and delight as he straightened up, "Why not join me on my little excursion tonight?"

 _Join?_

Your expression must have given slight hints of surprise, though you weren't particularly sure. Jacob seemed to notice a sudden change however, and he seemed slightly amused by it.

"Join you..?" You murmured, blinking once, before you narrowed your eyes slightly, he simply smirked again.

"Yes, we could have plenty of fun together love." He replied, "After all, breaking and entering into an Insane Asylum couldn't possibly be dull."

You bit the inside of your cheek a bit, feeling a wave of cold run up your spine as you simply gazed at him. It was an unpleasant feeling, but it was an appropriate one too.

There was a flood of dark corners and hallways filled with shrill screaming that invaded your mind a moment, but you banished the images and forced yourself to give him a wry smile, your hip cocking as you looked at him with glittering eyes.

"... Are you asking for _help_ , Jacob?" You nearly purred, he blinked.

 _Oh dear he looks flustered._

 _I'd say perhaps a bit more offended than that._

You smirked a little more as he hastily wiped the shock from his face, apparently that hadn't been the response he was expecting.

"Not help, only that it would be interesting to work together again. Our time last was cut short rather... Abruptly." He replied quickly, you sighed, though you were still smiling slightly in faint amusment having caught him off guard a little.

 _'Abruptly' is one word for it I suppose..._

You glanced away, your eyes closing a moment as you fell into silence, ever aware of Jacob's eyes on you.

 _He's_ _persistent, isn't_ _he? Always_ _pushing_ _for_ _more_ _time... I_ _suppose_ _working_ _with_ _him_ _wouldn't_ _be_ _awful. And_ _I'm_ _not_ _entirely_ _busy_ _today..._

 _... Do_ _you really wish_ _to_ _go_ _there?_

 _... That's_ _beside_ _the_ _point._

 _You're_ _getting_ _too_ _involved, and_ _you_ _know_ _it._

You blinked your eyes open, silencing the one half of your mind quickly.

"What do you say love?" Jacob smirked, "Up for a little fun?"

Your eyes moved his direction, glitning from under the shadow of your hood as you smiled faintly.

 _You're weak willed, you know that?_

"I have a few errands to run, but perhaps I will join you." You replied cooly, stepping away from the bench lightly. You cast him a small smirk as you turned away from him, waving a hand behind you.

"Until tonight, Jacob."

 **.:+:.**

You tightened the straps around your gauntlets as you stood atop the slanted tile roof of a building set across from the Asylum, the sky a hazy gray slowly turning darker as night settled in. The sound of moaning and disjointed screams echoed from the confines of the gated area, lights flickering inside several windows and the shadowy figures of people moving past them about the premise.

You had worked to finish those errands in a timely manner earlier that day, so that you could accompany Jacob on his outing, leaving Hector to see to the things you didn't manage to finish yourself.

Your eyes narrowed slightly, lips pulled into a tight line as you looked upon the daunting, shadowed outline of the huge building against the indigo backdrop.

 _This damned place..._

Your eyes flicked sideways, ears catching to the distinct sound of boots over the roof tiles as they moved toward you. You glanced upward, smiling just faintly as the figure of Jacob appeared on a higher section of the roof not far from you, his eyes trained to the Asylum with a keen light glinting in them, focused.

"Good evening Jacob." You said lightly, seeing his attention snap toward you in faint surprise, before his expression gave way to pleasure and excitement. He lightly hopped down onto the level you stood on, lips pulled into a carefree smile as he faced you.

"Good evening love." He replied, dipping his head to you. "Pleasure to have you joining, it's sure to be quite the night." You smiled just a little, shaking your head slightly as you looked away from him.

"Hopefully it will go more according to plan this time around." You commented quietly, you could see the exasperation on his face from the corner of your eye, but you ignored it.

"Are you expecting other company?" You asked, Jacob blinked, his attention following your hand as you gestured to the courtyard of the Asylum where there stood the figure of a man fumbling with his umbrella in the cold wind blowing around you.

 _It smells as if it will rain.._

Jacob smiled in slight amusement, "Ah, indeed I am." He chuckled, his keen dark eyes moving toward you, so intent and glinting in rising excitement.

"Shall we, love?"

 _He's_ _calling_ _you_ _that_ _more_ _and_ _more_ _often, you_ _know._

 **.:+:.**

Your boots crunched over the cobbles as Jacob's did, the two of you crossing the damp and somewhat flooded and worn road running in front of the Asylum. You both made your way through the gates and across the courtyard, your eyes trained ahead toward the figure you had spotted from the rooftop.

The man's umbrella turned inside out on itself in the wind, resulting in a prompt loss of the instrument. You sighed silently, watching from the corner of your eye as Jacob shook his head slightly, looking bemused but he smirked as the man whipped about in your direction upon noticing your approach.

"Mr. Frye! I trust that you had a productive meeting with Mr. Owens?" The man announced, turning toward the pair expectantly as his eyes flicked toward you in intrigue. You blinked at the other man, dipping your head slightly but otherwise saying nothing as Jacob stepped ahead of you.

 _So, Mr. Charles Darwin. You and Jacob had some fun disrupting the flow of Soothing Syrup a day ago, yes?_

You suppressed the urge to smile at the thought, you wouldn't say you were surprised with the destruction when one of your urchins brought you the news.

"Oh yes, we had a most wonderful chat. I've found that the man behind Starrick's Soothing Syrup is John Elliotson." Jacob replied, your head tilted his way ever so slightly at mention of the name, though you had heard him say it before- Elliotson was a known Templar associate. Or at least, known to you, you doubted Jacob had any clue before looking into the Syrup itself.

You saw the familiarity light up in Darwin's face at the name as well, as he shook his head and turned away. He started to pace as you hooked your arms behind your back.

"Dr. Elliotson? I haven't heard that name in quite a long while... He was a brilliant heart specialist." Darwin murmured, pausing. "Until he became obsessed with phrenology and mesmerism." he turned toward the pair of you, "It ruined his career."

 _Perhaps not as much as it should have... He is still practicing._

Of course you were aware this was a fact only owed to the Templars, so you didn't mention it aloud.

You blinked, watching silently as Darwin perked up, a slightly enthusiastic smile pulling at his lips as he pushed himself up on his toes a moment in exaggeration.

"So? What is our intended course of action?" he asked brightly, you saw Jacob blink in surprise from the corner of your eye.

"Ah, with all respect Mr. Darwin, I believe it'd be best if we were to proceed alone." Jacob replied, his hand gesturing toward you as Darwin's eyes flicked your way again. Jacob leaned in slightly, a small smirk pulling at his face. "After all, we wouldn't want to attract any... 'unwanted attention'."

Your eyes narrowed slightly, for a moment feeling as if you had missed a conversation. Charles Darwin's own eyes narrowed a moment as he patted his pockets, "Sounds very..." He trailed, before smiling and leaning forward in animated fashion, his voice rising in a mix of mirth and excitement. "Wise!" he laughed, his arm moving to clap Jacob on the shoulder a few times, you could imagine his soreness from his brawling flaring a moment. "Good luck my boy!" Jacob half smiled, before Charles Darwin's attention turned to you.

"And best of luck to you as well my dear!" He told you brightly, you nodded slightly. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. -?"

You smiled, ever so slightly as you broughy your hand forward to meet with his own.

"L/N." You murmured, he nodded.

"A pleasure." He smiled, before stepping backward and began to move away.

Jacob glanced sideways toward you, eyes narrowed and looking slightly intrigued.

At the time of your first meeting with himself and his sister, however subtle it had been, upon that roof he had noticed your hesitation in giving up your name. It was clear you were guarded and aloof, and perhaps it wasn't a surprise you kept from giving out personal information given your (and Jacob's) line of work. However he found it odd, and shocking that you had given Darwin your name with absolutely no hesitation.

His attention was ripped away from you as Darwin turned around quickly on his heel, "Oh, and Mr. Frye. If you ever do find yourself with any free time- please, do call on me." he smiles, Jacob nodded slightly, looking exasperated and amused all at once. Darwin turned back around and headed from the courtyard, the chill air filled with the tune he began to whistle as he moved away from you both.

"Interesting fellow, isn't he?" You murmured lightly, eyes glinting.

"Indeed." Jacob murmured, before smiling as he turned to you. "Alright then love, shall we?" He asked,

"Do you have any plan on how to get in?" You asked coolly, your eyebrow quirking a moment toward him. "Or how you plan to make it all the way to Elliotson without causing a stir?" You smirked slightly, eyes glinting in challenge a moment. "I do assume you wish to be the one to take his life, yes?"

"Of course!" He replied quickly, though he managed to throw in a carefree smile- though you were sure he was a little sure you had meant that as a threat.

 _I could probably kill Elliotson and be done in only a few minutes._

 _He isn't your mark._

 _That doesn't mean I don't have a point._

 _Why are you here? What do you hope to do? He's too stubborn to accept help easily, too proud._

 _I suppose what I am doing here is a good question..._

 _... Well, there is that..._

"Well then, your plan?" You pressed, the debate in your head dying on the last and unknown subject, he glanced away and toward the daunting figure of the Asylum, the wind picking up as rain became ever heavier a scent on the air.

"It'll be hard to navigate the halls, especially at this time. Those patients who aren't confined to their rooms will be wandering around the corridors. There are those who won't even recognize you among them, and those who will openly react. The attendings may not care if shouting occurs, but it will cause a stir if you are attacked by one of the patients.. Or you attack them." You murmured casually, your eyes leaving him and fixing to the building. Your attention flicked between the lit windows and the shadows moving passed, "The attendings and nurses will be more brutal than your regular Blighter as well, morality is left outside those walls. They won't be kind should they discover you, and they are always on high alert, ready for the next patient to cause a stir so they can bring their clubs down and beat away without mercy. They're always roaming the halls, its almost impossible to avoid them entirely. And of course, alerting any attendant or nurse will surely cause more to circle in on you. In narrow halls full of locked doors as those, fleeing from a large crowd of pursuing enemies will be extremely difficult."

You fell silent a minute, your thoughts swirling with image of the floors and the people roaming, and the routes that could be assessed from the outside, and the possible ways in order to get to Mr. John Elliotson. All the while oblivious to the searching and somewhat perplexed look Jacob had set upon you.

"... Have you by chance stolen your way inside the Asylum before, love?" He asked with a small wave of his hand toward said building.

You blinked, your eyes falling closed a moment.

 _You nearly left yourself open just now... Very risky. You don't usually get so distracted._

 _Hmph..._

"Just once." You replied easily, careful your tone gave away nothing but casual neutrality. You smiled just for a second, a small, quick smile as you glanced his way again, "Well then, Jacob. You invited me along, were you looking to make this excursion a bit of a challenge?" Jacob simply looked at you for a few small moments,

For a moment he didn't answer, it wasn't a long pause no, but enough. He noticed just then when you were talking about the inside of the Asylum, the surety in your voice and the way in which you seemed to fade into your own mind and thoughts. He wasn't sure what it was... But something about your demeanor changed, just in that moment. You seemed even more distant, like you were in your own world.

Information was your trade of course, so perhaps it wasn't a wonder you knew the ins and outs of any place, let alone this one. But something about the sheer detail and the way you seemed to effortlessly list it, like there needn't be any reason to pause and think about it. Your words maybe almost sounded rehearsed, natural on your own tongue... To the point of being almost unnaturally familiar to you. He found himself wondering why you had made your way inside the Asylum on that 'just once' occasion.

He banished the thoughts from his mind quickly, his usual smirk reappearing as his dark gaze glittered in excitement.

"A challenge would be interesting," he smirked, "To start, let's see who can make it inside and to the top floor first, shall we?" He smiled, carefully and playfully stepping forward and around you, facing you though he had begun to back up toward the building, you noted it instantly.

"Trying to sneak in a headstart?" You asked easily, he chuckled.

"Bah, me?" he replied, "You think _I'd_ stoop so low as to cheat?" He took one step back still, that carefree smile still gracing those lips, his hand placing itself on his chest as he feigned offense. You quirked an eyebrow, allowing yourself a low, quiet chuckle.

 _Cheeky man._

"Hmm, cheating or not, I'd dare say you'll actually _need_ a headstart." You replied easily, his head tilted at the comment. "You really don't stand much of a chance against me Jacob." You smirked, he returned the gesture.

"I suppose we'll be seeing about that, won't we love?" He chuckled, whipping about as he waved a hand behind him. "You won't be so cocky when I make it inside long before you! Best of luck ~!" You smiled, your feet moving forward as you followed quickly after his retreating figure. He already disappeared as you approached the stone castle,

You faintly wondered if the both of you would conclude your business here before the rain set in.

You shook your head, still smiling slightly despite yourself as your eyes trailed toward an open window.

 _Don't go enjoying yourself like that, it's unbecoming._

 _Perhaps it is... But I can't remember the last time I went on a job that included an actual mark. Its been years of relaying letters and scraps of paper... As helpful as it is to the cause, it can be extraordinarily dull._

 _But it is your duty. You can't change that. And you certainly should be doing that, instead of playing here with him._

 _Perhaps there is no shame in having a bit of fun from time to time._

 _This place isn't one for fun. And you certainly won't end this here, if you go ahead you'll be digging yourself deeper. You'll become attached, too relaxed._

 _I know myself quite well, you needn't tell me._

 _Yes, you do. And you know this road will only lead one way._

You bit the inside of your cheek, for a split second hesitating as you looked up toward the window.

 _Shut it,_ you growled toward the other half of yourself. You wanted nothing more than to can the ideas, you wanted something more than filtering papers, just once. Just once... You wanted to have fun, even as morbid as that sounded when the 'fun' meant killing a man.

You lift your arm as the grappling hook shot from your gauntlet, attaching itself to the base of the window, and you felt your feet lift from the ground.

 _... Careless fool._

 **.:+:.**

"Nurse, please deliver these papers to Dr. Elliotson. He'll need them for his lecture this evening."

"Right away sir."

Your body melted into the shadows along the edge of the hall, your eyes glinting from the deep shadow of your hood, the small voices filtering toward you among the ringing screams from lower levels, the hushed and frantic whispering and the moaning.

 _Damn it... Such things shouldn't be familiar._

You growled inwardly, your senses casting out a moment as you closed your eyes. Red itched at the edge of your mind, but you hardly cared- you hoped your sixth sense would catch just one thing, one color.

You easily locked on to Jacob's green-blur hue on the floor below you, amongst the red and the dull gray of the other people roaming the halls in a drone. A very predictable, slow drone with the exception of those so out of their minds they stumbled in jerking, random directions.

You moved along the wall quietly, your hand grazing the cold surface lightly and with not a sound as you moved down the hallway. Your eyes moved sideways, feeling the small faint itch of something gold on the edge of your mind... But only faintly, not Elliotson but something else, something helpful maybe.

Your footsteps made not a sound as you moved down coriddors like a shadow, easily avoiding the patients and the nurses milling about. You were circling toward the center of the top floor, your (E/C) eyes narrowed under the shadow of your hood, biting the inside of your cheek subconsciously as you passed locked door after locked door.

There were moaning and shouting from the other side of some of those, with the distinguishable sound of bones breaking and bodies being beaten.

You were suddenly very unconcerned with the fact you had certainly beat Jacob to the top floor. It mattered little... At the moment it took everything in you to keep from falling into a black corner of your own mind.

You slowed to a halt, on your left the walls opening to a sudden rectangular corridor lined with windows- to which overlooked a room below. You glanced through one of the ones left ajar, seeing others glancing over the side on opposite ends, down to the well lit gallery below. A circular floor was enclosed by rising seats on the edges, to which sharply dressed men and silent nurses sat, their eyes and fullest attention fixed to the table in the center, and the event taking place.

"... See something interesting, love?"

You had been faintly aware that turquoise hue of Jacob had drawn nearer, though you didn't look toward him, your eyes remained fixed downward as you bit the inside of your cheek.

A small flick of your head in the direction of the window was the only response Jacob received from you, though he seemed to understand it instantly. His smile faded and his expression turned taught, he stepped up toward the window beside you, his dark eyes glittering as he spotted what you would not look away from.

There was a man splayed out on a table in the center of the room below you, his clothes white rags and his eyes bulging as he twitched and strained against the leather bindings keeping him pinned down. He gasped and yelled against the gag running over his mouth, limbs twitching as a man stood over him, scarlet spraying against his coat and the table as a sickening crunch crackled on the air, accompanied by the slow, forceful turning on an instrument working its way into the poor bastards head. The man over him, his eyes yellow and expression remote of any emotion for the torture he was inflicting, his lips twitched in the ghost of a smile as he screwed the instrument into the man's head more, the gasping and muffled screams joined quickly by violent spasms, until suddenly, the table filled red, and the man lay silent.

Your fingernails dug into the underside of the stone sill of the window, the tenseness in your body you felt mirrored by Jacob beside you. For a moment your vision clouded in red, had it not been for the low growl Jacob let slip under his breath beside you, you may have even forgotten he was there, or why you were here at all.

You could both hear the blood spray and the bits of skull and flesh hit the floor and the table as the man pulled the instrument away, before softly setting it down.

In both your minds immediately flashed a glow of gold, though you hardly needed it.

Elliotson turned from the table easily as he addressed the onlookers, his tone light and formal.

"Well, as you just witnessed the application of too much pressure can sometimes result in... Unexpected outcomes." Elliotson announced, his eyes flicking over the people watching. "Unfortunately, in this case it would seem I have ruined the organ."

 _He doesn't even flinch at what he did, its trivial to him._

 _Did you expect any less?_

Elliotson turned round and strode toward the wall where a call panel was set into it, the room slowly filled with the murmuring of the spectators, but both you and Jacob hardly noticed, you were trained on one thing only.

"Send up a cadaver." The man muttered into the line.

"At once, Doctor Elliotson."

Your eyes fell closed, for a moment forcing yourself to look away from the thing that suddenly had rage bubbling inside you more fiercely than it had in... Well, a very long time. It was a deep rage and anger that bordered on losing yourself, something dark and murderous stirring in the depths of your core, something cold that was slowly rising upward after slumbering for a very, very long time.

 _You know well why you feel this way._

You told that half of your mind to kindly shut it. You didn't want to hear it, it only made you angrier. So you cast it aside and let your mind and senses wander away from the gallery and all about the massive building itself. You let go of your material place in that hallway, of the closeness of the window and the fellow Assassin beside you, as even the barrier of stone and tile between walls and floors fell away and the world opened around you in the new hyper sentivity that came available- and only by letting your hold on yourself fall into nothing.

This sense was like a free fall, a sudden wash of things and the images and sounds of people and events too far away for any normal collection of information. It was an influx on the things your perceptive mind locked on to, and you became entirely unaware of yourself, and that deep anger- for all but a few moments that rushed events in insane rapidity toward you.

You could sense a gathering going on near the main foyer, music playing and people shuffling on the lower floors, while nurses and orderlies patrolled the top.

There was a man and a woman near the back, small tidbits of the woman's protests reached your ears, though you hardly cared, even at the mention of keys.

Something low and shuffling and the drip of cold water on stone.

A man whistled as he moved along the corridors, patients moaned and screamed as they were herded into rooms.

Your ears rung with an electric buzzing, the very sound from ever so far making your skin prickle as the electricity popped and snapped.

The world was dull and gray as people glowed dimly in color in your mind, all manner of things, too many things all at once someone other than yourself may have had trouble determining all of it. You certainly didn't try now.

Self consciously your body stiffened, again hearing the buzz of the electricity on the air, and the sound of metal instruments and levers shifting. But perhaps just as well... The intent was to focus on something else in order to quell the bloodlust rising.

But damned, this place was setting you on edge more than you could have ever anticipated, even more so as everything flooded your mind. And that angered you as well.

Jacob had looked your way, his mouth falling open to voice his intent of action- but he stopped when he noticed how very still you were. His dark eyes glinted in the half light around the both you, narrowed as he watched you stand still, your eyes shut tight and silent as the grave. He would have simply assumed you were concentrating, or simply thinking of a plan- had he not been able to see the taughtness in your body. You were completely rigid, your head tilted as your attention seemed to fix everywhere all at once, everywhere expect there, with the both of you.

He may have thought nothing of it, because he had a faint idea you were listening for something of use, if he hadn't been able to see the small, faint inkling of anger and discomfort in the simple rigidness of your body. Where usually you were relaxed and collected, suddenly it was almost as if your emotions were beginning to get out of hand.

But why you seemed so tense so suddenly was beyond him. And frankly... he was curious.

For a moment he wondered if perhaps it had something to do with that 'just once' excursion you had made to the Asylum sometime in the past.

But what in bloody hell would have happened? As ever, you were a damned mystery to him, and he felt his wish to know grow all the stronger again.

Jacob waited a few tense moments, simply watching you in your stillness to see of you would turn your focus back to where it had been before. He gave you a chance to maybe find what it was you were suddenly trying to find, his eyes glinting in slight surprise when he saw the ghost of some... Pained expression pass over your face. It was gone so quickly he wasn't sure, and it was so dim, but he felt his heart jump slightly.

"(F/N)." He said steadily, deciding it best to break your concentration.

Your thoughts and focus on the infernal buzz of electricity was shattered at the simple sound of your name in a voice that had become quite familiar as of late. And just as it had been able to, you felt that dark inside of you settle again, as your eyes immediately found his own, blinking slightly as your mind settled back in the present. In an instant... Somehow his voice caused all your attention to land on him.

He smiled slightly at how easily his voice and your name brought your (E/C) eyes up to meet his. He felt for a moment it was a small victory for him, if he could catch your immediate attention like that...

You swallowed slightly, standing up a bit straighter as you shook away the sudden fuzziness in your mind and allowed it to clear some. It was something of a mystery how he managed to gain your attention like that, once you got lost in your own head so deeply it was usually very hard to come back up. But he managed to pull you back, almost effortlessly, and seeing the small smile appear on his face made your heart lighten a little too. As if his amusement was contagious.

 _Even in this place..._

You shook your head slightly, allowing the contagious smile to bring your own to your lips for but a few moments, any hint of tenseness or your sudden rise in rage was gone in a moments time, as if it never happened. Jacob noticed the change immediately, noting not for the first time how you managed to keep your deeper emotions to yourself with such ease.

He was still burning with curiosity inside as to what had caused you to fade away into your own head like that, he wanted nothing more than to pry. But for sake of the time being lost in the Assignment, and perhaps maybe a bit out of regard for you as well, he let it go- at least for now.

Gods, something about you managed to make him step away from something he wanted badly. Usually nothing could stop him from pushing and searching for what he wanted, he was usually too impulsive and stubborn... And yet _you_.

"It seems I have a way to our dear friend Elliotson." Jacob murmured lightly, you blinked at him. He smiled a bit more, tapping his knuckle against the glass of a window lightly. "If I can manage to sneak my way into the room where the cadavers are kept before the new one is delivered, I could take the place of the corpse and be wheeled right into the good doctor's reach." He explained easily, you're head tilted slightly, your mind quickly catching up.

"... To which you would have the perfect opportunity to eliminate him, and do so when he least expects it." You replied, your arms crossing about your torso. Jacob smiled, holding his hands out a bit animatedly as he leaned in, looking for your approval of the idea to show.

"... Of course you will need to reach the basement quickly, and once the deed is done there is only one true way out of the gallery. It will be hard work to escape, as this plan of assassination will be in clear view of dozens of witnesses." You glanced away from him, your eyes trailing up the hallway as your voice dropped a bit, your eyes narrowing. "... But if you think you can manage the escape afterwards, and you can take the cadaver's spot in time, it could very well work." You relented, turning back his way as he smiled, maybe a bit in exasperation a moment, but he smirked and stepped past you.

"Well, no time to waste then, hmm?" He hummed lightly, stepping up passed you and toward the hallway back the way you had come before. You smiled slightly,

"I'll meet in you in the basement, then." You murmured,

Your hand reached forward, your finger curling lightly under his chin as you smiled slyly, your fingertip lightly flicking up as he stood still, looking amused, and perhaps a bit surprised at the unexpected contact.

"Try not to get caught on the way there, Jacob." You smiled, your hand drawing away from him slowly, oh so slowly.

The way he smiled, he was so pleased, and yet all at once you could almost see him squirm. He even seemed to lean your way as you drew back, just ever so slightly.

Usually such a reaction from a man simply ever amused you, but you certainly didn't ever give into an action such as that- small and coy as it was. You kept your hands to yourself unless it was for killing, rarely was it for something so playful... And in that moment maybe you were a bit pleased yourself how much he seemed to latch on to such simple attention.

You had turned and disappeared into the dim of the hallway long before he could manage to protest splitting up- he was smiling still.

The sensation of your light touch under his jaw lingered, he found himself wasting precious moments to get to the morgue simply staring after where you vanished.

He shook himself, smirking just a bit more as he started down the other way. The unexpected contact was... Well, he wouldn't say it bothered him.

For a minute he wondered if he was getting somewhere with you.

Jacob allowed the thought to settle in his mind but for now turned his attention back to the task at hand.

He didn't even question why it is you decided to split up, and maybe he should have... But it was clearly a common occurrence with you.

Jacob slid down the hallway with ease, dodging and avoiding the orderlies, nurses and patients where he needed- though dodging about in the shadows so much made him growl slightly. It would be simpler if he could just walk through without a care, but being found now would ruin his (ingenious, in his mind) plan. Thinking of the sheer surprise on the good doctors mug when Jacob popped up from being 'dead' made him smile, and push past his irritation.

He paused at the head of a doorway, sparing a glance around the corridor to see the stairs leading downward... Far down, toward the morgue he would assume.

And right in his way, a man in nurses scrubs, his fingers tapping along the edge of his baton.

Why are they always in the way?

Jacob smiled, before he easily spun around the corner, his hands clapping down on the man's mouth and holding fast to his neck and shoulders. The man let out a muffled gasp of surprise, struggling instantly against Jacobs hold, though it didn't matter.

It took a few moments more for the man to stop his squirming, Jacob pulled him aside and let him slump against the wall to the side of the door, before quietly slipping down the stairs, his boots making hardly a sound on the stone and tile.

The basement was less crowded, what few nurses there were they stayed still, or moved very little from the rooms lining either side of the hallway. It was easy enough for Jacob to pick his way through the rooms, ducking around corners and countertops as he slipped past each one with deft silence and skill.

Who ever said he couldn't be subtle when he needed to be? Evie wasn't the only stealthy one of the two of them.

He paused, pressing himself up against the wall, just outside a small anti-room connected to the morgue and where he felt the faintest gold flicker of the young doctor pacing. There was a blue flash in the room too, owed to the last and only nurse still in his way and in a position to cause him trouble- he'd have to hide the real cadaver that was planned to be sent to Elliotson, and Jacob couldn't have this nurse around to see him haul a heavy corpse into a hiding place.

 **.:+:.**

The buzz of the electricity grew louder, accompanied closely by the sound of a body spasming against a table. Your teeth grit against one another, no doubt in similar fashion to how that man's jaw had convulsed shut, and so tightly he may be cracking a few teeth.

Two people stood before the table, one watching that man who's eyes bulged and muscles twitched incessantly, and the other- his hand resting atop the control to the cruel machine, both of then unfazed by what pain and torture their 'treatment' was causing. There was a click as the lever was forced upward one, two, several (and much too many) notches, the machine burning with more life as the buzzing sharpened on the air, you felt your heart _flutter_ slightly at the sound.

The nurses moved, their hands working to hold down the man who twitched and jumped and moaned with more ferocity, his muscles twitching violently as his body spasming upward all the more, what little life was left in that man quickly faded.

The lives of the two men standing above the table faded as quickly, your hands shoving upward as you lodged your Hidden Blades into the base of their skulls, blood staining your sleeves and the floor as you let them fall limp at your feet.

Your hand thrust out toward the machine, taking hold of the lever and throwing it down to turn it off- the buzzing ceased, and the twitches and convulsions of the man strapped to the table fell silent too.

You hissed under your breath, drawing your blade along the straps holding him down and then moving to the wiring- cutting what lines gave the machine life, rendering it useless- though you knew the wires could and would be replaced eventually.

You couldn't manage to force yourself even a glance at that man, or what dazed, faraway look had seeped into his face, the emptiness in his eyes as his brain settled... Wiped clear and unable to form thought. Probably never to form even the slightest idea ever again...

Your fists clenched at your side, fingernails digging into your palms even through your gloves, the Hidden Blades hiding themselves once again as you stepped away and toward that set of stairs that would lead downward.

Murder.. rage, bloodlust... All things dark and fiery swirling in the pits of your stomach as images malicious and wicked raced through your head- the things you wished to do, to people who's faces were so clear and yet you dare not even think their names.

... You _were_ getting worked up, much too quickly- but already under that anger that rational side of your mind had drowned under the wash of fire.

You agitated and angry... That was never a good thing, least of all in a place such as this.

Your movement halted before you even attempted descending the first step, your eyes falling closed as a flash of bright red and gold flashed in the back of your mind.

A truly awful swirl of color, one you had imagined few times before, and one that sent that fire burning in your core alight all the stronger.

 _Do not_

Your feet turned away from the stairs, oblivious of that voice or what it said. You headed back the way you had come, back away from the direction Jacob would surely be waiting, away toward that ugly red-gold color that sent your anger burning all the stronger.

 _Do. Not._

You hissed, your hand moving upward as you slammed a fist against the stone wall hard enough to make the bones ache.

Your skin was crawling, prickling as you heard the buzz of electricity ignite again- not in this room, no, but another... That room with the ugly flash of color.

 _You cannot, he'll know_

 _Bullshit_

 _... You cannot keep Jacob waiting, you bloody fool_

Your jaw clenched, your other hand moving to grip the railing behind you tightly, as if it was a lifeline- but more like a line on reality.

 _... Finish the mark, come back if you have to. But not now._

You growled under your breath lowly, a swirl of thoughts and arguments and rationalities running through your head. Most fueled by emotion, and few by reason... But reason had to win over, right now, you knew that. You needed to calm down, clear your head... Because what madness and slew of thoughts and rage you were falling into so quickly- that was a sure way to ensure you'd do something stupid, and give in to what murderous, malicious side of yourself you had to keep in check so often. And that would not end well... For you or anyone.

 _That turquoise color, Jacob... He's already close to the Morgue. You'll keep him waiting, acting like this._

 _Damn you_

You let out an aggravated breath, turning, stiffly, back to the stairs as you swept down them, silent and quick.

 _I told you we should not have come back here._

 _Shut. Up._

Your movement down the stairs went past in a blur, aware of your surroundings and yet hardly paying attention as you slipped down the long corridor, dodgding deftly passed open rooms and what few nurses inhabited them. You were like nothing more than a shadow, drawing closer to the Morgue and the glow of faint gold and turquoise blue.

You didn't pause for even a second as you drew near the last side room before the Morgue opened up, didn't give a thought to what you were going as you stepped lightly around the corner, your wrist flicking back as your arm shot forward like that of a snake- lodging the already stained blade into the neck of the man leaning against a heavy, stone table. Your other hand moved forward, covering his mouth to stifle what small gasp of pain that escaped, before you let the blade slide from the body and eased the heavy, limp form onto the floor, dragging him out of sight on the other side of the table from the doorway.

Your eyes snapped backward, glinting under the shadow of your hood to face what soft, light footsteps sounded behind you- Jacob, though for a minute you didn't recognize it as him, so wrapped up in muffling that murder and rage still swirling inside you.

He must have noticed something was off the minute you turned toward him, because he stopped short, and halted in an instant, his eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a tight line. One eyebrow quirked, looking you up and down in a matter of seconds before his eyes settled on you, your face and what cold neutrality was suddenly plastered there- and that he had never seen in you, not once.

"... You alright, love?" He dared ask the question, his voice hushed as not to draw the attention of the young doctor still pacing in the next room.

"Just fine." Was your short, quiet response, though inwardly you cursed yourself- if he noticed something off the minute he looked to you, you needed to control yourself better.

You took in a silent, slow breath as you glanced away.

"No time to waste." You murmured quietly, moving toward the door and waving a hand behind you in motion for him to follow- you took in another silent breath, hoping that it would quell the murder in your heart.

Jacob followed you, slowly at first, almost uncertainly, his eyes narrowed at your back as you both slipped inside the room, staying low as you both slipped behind the curtains that provided cover from that young doctor muttering and pacing as he pulled and put tools in their place. He stopped beside you, his eyes flicking toward the doctor as he moved toward the other end of the room and toward another set of curtains- that would leave him with no view of the table and the sheet-covered cadaver you planned to 'misplace'.

You flicked your head in the direction of the body, motioning for Jacob to move just as the Doctor was out of range of sight. The younger Frye moved quickly and quietly, muffling the grunt of effort as he hoisted the stone cold cadaver over his shoulders and quickly moved toward the anti-room you two had been in previous.

You stepped out of your cover as he moved away, reaching out and picking up a folded sheet from a nearby counter, letting the length unfold in your hands as Jacob moved back into the room with little a sound. His eyes flicked your way for a moment, before he lightly hopped atop the table and lay down.

You threw the sheet over his person, hiding him from all view for a few split seconds before he pulled it down from over his face- his gaze searching as you stepped up beside him.

"I'll be seeing you soon then, right love?" He asked, you blinked, before you smiled- just slightly- your fingers lightly folding under the rim of his hat and pulling it from his head.

"Of course. But you'll need to make it out alive first, dear Jacob." You smirked, a small, amused smirk that he seemed a little perplexed by- not the smile itself, but how quickly your humor had come back, and quite frankly how forced it seemed.

Your hand moved to place the hat inside your coat, it wouldn't do to have a body so fully clothed, it would cause a bit of suspicion. And without undressing the younger Frye... Well, removing his hat would have to do for now.

"Let's hope the young doctor fails to notice your shoes under the sheet, hmm?" You hummed softly, he chuckled lightly, before laying his head back- you replaced the sheet and slipped away, disappearing into the anti-room just as the young doctor moved to grab hold of the table Jacob rest upon.

You remained only a minute to watch the table roll by, before disappearing back down the hallway you had cone- anger alighting again as you focused on that awful, ugly red-gold color once more.

 **.:+:.**

The table jerked over the cracks and separation in the stone floors as Jacob and it were pushed steadily upward, pale, dirty yellow light filtering in through the sheet barely as they passed under lights.

The sound of murmuring grew louder over the squeak of the wheels, the table shifting as it turned direction, Jacob holding his breath as the table jerked to a halt.

"Here it is, Doctor." The younger's voice sounded, the shadow of him over the table and through the sheet retreating as he stepped away. Jacob could hear his footsteps moving backward down the hall, and away from the atrium altogether- though still he remained utterly still.

"We will continue our expirement shortly," Elliotson's voice rose among the hushed murmur of the gallery. "In a moment we will compare the brains of our two specimens- and since both specimens had a propensity toward violent behavior, we should see similar protrusions in specific parts of their brains..."

Jacob felt his nose start to itch terribly, but he ignored it when he heard Elliotson trail off, for a moment he swore he heard _uncertainty_.

"... Corpses do not wear boots..."

 _Ah, and there is my cue._

 _Hehe, (F/N) thought the shoes would give it away, now didn't she?_

Jacob had sprung up in the next instant, his feet swinging from the table and sheet sent flying- his arm pulled back as his wrist flicked, the Hidden Blade flickering in the lowlight as his other hand grasped instantly about the good doctor's coat. The blade had been plunged into his neck before Elliotson had even enough time to gasp in surprise,

The world took on what surreal, slowness it seemed to when he met his mark, his hand working to lower Elliotson to the floor as everything faded from thought- and left only the two of them for moments that felt like years.

"... So at last... It ends." Elliotson shuddered, the words broken slightly.

 **.:+:.**

You were aware of the keen eyes watching you from the entrance to the room, the figure of a woman, a nurse with dark brown locks and a clever look about her. She said nothing, made not a noise, only stood in absolute stillness as the body of the man fell limp, sliding backward into the chair of his desk as blood dribbled from his neck and stained his white shirt a delicious crimson.

You could feel her eyes on your back even through what haze of hatred and sheer malicious intent had worked its way into your core- and did nothing to settle down once the deed was done. You knew she had approached the office, but had not cared, and for a few moments you glared down at that man, his wrinkled, stern face, the dull, dead eyes and the small flicker of fear now forever imprinted on his features- you simply could not care of the silent observer or what they would do having witnessed your swift murder of the man. In your mind was a slew of things you wanted no part of, images and sensations that had long since lingered but you had managed to keep buried- they rose with new fervor to the surface and you knew there was some dark, deep scowl on your face you couldn't hide.

So wrapped in your own rage and your own thoughts it did not occur to you right away to wonder why she hadn't begun shrieking for the police the minute she stepped across the threshold.

"... You're not running." You murmured lowly, your back still turned to the door. Pale, shimmering light filtered in from the window set behind the chair and the body, providing the only illumination in the room where the light had been snuffed out.

You stepped sideways, moving behind the chair as you took a few steps toward the way in which you intended to leave now that the only door into the room was firmly blocked by that ever silent woman.

"... I would have expected shouting, or a gasp at least. Yet you do not seem all that concerned." you went on softly, finally pausing to turn toward the door, glancing toward the woman and what stony expression passed on her face- taught, rigid brow and lips.

Maybe she did seem a bit concerned, but it wasn't out of fear... She seemed mostly agitated, if a bit unhappy- but only just. As if something had left a sour taste in her mouth and yet she accepted it none the less.

In some small, faroff corner of your mind- you knew who she was. You knew everyone of course, but you hardly thought on it just then,

"... Need I be concerned that you plan to take my life as well?" She asked lowly, steadily- much too steadily for someone who walked in on murder- but it was impressive.

"I don't make a habit of taking the lives of the innocent." you replied easily, true enough- as 'Staying your blood from the flesh of the Innocent' was a part of the Creed.

"So you enact judgment on the wicked, instead?" she replied without missing a beat, you blinked, seeing the small hints of disdain work its way into her features for a moment. "Judgment where only God has right to pass?"

"... You would scold me for ending the life of someone _you_ believe wicked?" You asked, barely containing what small hints of sarcasm tried to make its way into your voice. "You must know what he has done, you do know- or you would not label him wicked. You know what horrible crimes he has comitted, immoral, brutal actions- you would not be so calm about his death, if you were unaware. A horrible, evil man meeting his end- his death that could save countless others pain at his hand. You would berate me for that?"

"To take a life is a sin, no matter how evil the life is that is being taken." The woman replied evenly, "But who am I to say that perhaps this is not God's will? That he has sent you here to cleanse this place of evil and wicked hearts? That you have been sent to enact His judgment?" You blinked, your head tilting slightly at the sudden words, seeing the calm make its way into her face, the flicker of an expression of some bitter taste fading ever so slightly. She folded her hands in front of her, her head turning to the hallway as your attention did the same- hearing the sudden shout and echo of people, yells for police filling the halls as Jacob met his mark and all hell broke loose on the lower floors.

"... I will choose to believe your intervention here is the will of God. For I feel that the loss of both of these wicked men will allow light to reign upon this place again, where healing and health may return in the quake of their deaths- as admittedly bitter it is simply how they met their ends." The woman went on, you narrowed your eyes slightly.

It seemed more to you she was making an excuse, to try and lessen the guilt she felt for how relieved she was these men were dead and gone... A better thing life would be with them gone. Of that there was no doubt.

"... I do not condone your actions, or your methods... But I will not argue with the good that will come of it." She added a bit more quietly, her eyes settled on you for a few moments, as you simply stood there, uncaring of the commotion steadily getting louder.

 _... Stubborn woman... She is relieved he can no longer do harm... But she can't admit it out loud._

 _Murder is not everyone's answer to an issue_

 _No, but sometimes is is the only acceptable answer._

You let out a breath, smirking, just slightly, before turning away and toward the window.

"Best of luck bringing the facilities back to acceptable standards, Nurse Nightingale." You called softly, waving a hand behind you as you pushed the window open, the chill night air so thick with the scent of rain blew in.

"I don't doubt you'll have everything back in line in very short time." you smiled to yourself, but never looked back over your shoulder as you lightly stepped up into the sill, and descended down the building without a word.

 _Is this better? Did it do you good? Taking his life?_

 _... This is better._

 _Are you certain of that?_

 _Absolutely._

 **.:+:.**

The Asylum was awash with noise and people running in and out, the wail of sirens on the air as the police came in droves, panic and mayhem setting in quickly as word of murder rung in the halls- and quickly left the walls, jumping the street and passing between lips and urchins. Before long all of London would know of the events, most likely well before dawn.

You took in another, slow, calming breath- forcing more of your rage and bloodlust to settle as you simply focused in breathing, the smell of rain absolutely thick by now and helping to ease your race of emotion a bit more.

 _You let yourself get a bit out of hand, (F/N) you bloody fool... What were you thinking?_

You huffed slightly, your eyes falling closed as you leaned against the wall with your shoulder, your feet crossed over one another and arms crossed about your chest. You hushed your thoughts and the very one-sided scolding that had invaded your thoughts in lieu of the usual two sided arguments.

... A night spent in the one place in London you never wished to go... A night spent battling yourself and your emotions, crushing images and thoughts you wished were tangible enough to stab a blade through. A night, dodging down sickeningly familiar hallways and a night where you silenced a wicked, awful life for good... and all of it, because you had given in to Mr. Jacob Frye's insistence you join him.

You'd hardly spent anytime with Jacob once you stepped inside the building, hardly given into amusement or challenge as he surely planned to. You were sure he'd realize how little of your company he had managed during this excursion... And knowing him he would insist on another, another little adventure, more time watching you, being near you... Trying to figure you out as you were oh so sure he was trying.

Perhaps you had let him get a bit too close... But you did enjoy it too, though maybe you shouldn't.

 _So... Is it time I back off? Allow myself to disappear for a few weeks? Leave him to himself?_

 _Of course if I do that, there is no telling what he may get up to in the meantime... He's a very brash, cheeky, quick-witted man that one. Stubborn too... And maybe a bit foolish. If I left him now with no explanation- what trouble could he get up to, even simply trying to gain my attention back?_

 _You put yourself here... You let him too close, there is no fixing that._

 _... That is true, and unfortunate. I hate to admit it... But I am having fun, outside all the bad and unexpected portions. Cheeky man... I haven't been around anyone as amusing as he is in a very, very long time._

The rain started as you became lost in thought and deliberation with yourself. You hardly cared, the water mostly bounced off your coat harmlessly, your hood still hiding your face from view as you simply waited.

You could argue back and forth with yourself for days, look at things rationally and irrationally... And in the end you did know what the end had to be.

 _... The board isn't set the way it needs be yet... I can't risk making a wrong move._

You sighed again, just slightly.

Your eyes opened to the sound of boots clicking over the tiles outside of the patter of the rain, your attention turning toward the figure of Jacob as he made his way toward you, smirking slightly and keen eyes gleaming under his hood as he approached.

"With the deed done, let's hope Starrick's Syrup meets an end, eh love?" He smiled, stopping in front of you, hands on his hips and delighted with himself- so much so he didn't care about the rain.

"Hmm, indeed." You replied softly, "... Of course now where will you be putting your attention? The Syrup and Elliotson may have been stopped, but there's certainly no end to the Templar's hold." You stepped away from the wall, your hands hooked behind your back. "Or will you prefer to strengthen your Rooks some more, before taking on another Target?"

"Ah, so many choices!" He smirked, "Might you have any suggestions, love?"

He was looking for you to tell him you wanted something of him. He wanted you to tell him you planned another excursion together, maybe with Adelain, or Athernette... Anything, if it involved you.

You smiled, just slightly, and for only a brief second that Jacob wasn't sure he had seen it or not.

"May I suggest a conquest of the Southwark Burrow then?" You murmured lightly, "The Templars will have their hands full worrying about the loss of Mr. Elliotson, and the Blighters will surely be suffering for it. Southwark has shaken loose some of it's Blighter coils the last few weeks, so now would be ample time to make a go at taking it for your Rooks." Jacob nodded in slight agreement to the plan, though you noticed his smile faded somewhat at a lack of helping you on some errand or other.

"Will I have the pleasure of your company while taking Southwark then, love?" He asked easily, you blinked at the question, your eyes trailing away from him and toward the shimmer of dismal light glittering from the puddles of rain pooling about the road and the streets.

 _... you need to distance yourself... if you don't this may end badly._

 _... but maybe not yet._

You smiled ruefully, hating yourself for a moment for giving in so easily.

"... in time, yes. I would be happy to assist you should you need it, Dear Jacob." You replied, casting him a small, teasing smirk as his own smile widened a bit. "I'll have my own things to attend to, but it would be my pleasure to help you on any matter you need- small or large. And maybe in time I'll invite you along for another excursion." His eyes gleamed at that, looking absolutely giddy at the idea though he kept himself relatively well collected.

"Splendid plan, love." He smirked, you shook your head slightly, chuckling under your breath. You had cleared the small bit of distance between the two of you easily enough, your hand reaching into your coat whole the other reached forward- catching the back of his hood and pulling it down ever so softly. He blinked in quiet surprise at you for but a minute, your own slightly coy smile on your lips as you let the rain fall atop his head and his features a few moments- before pulling his hat from the inside of your coat and replacing it on his head lightly.

There was a small minute of sheer stillness between you two, your hand remaining on the rim of his hat as the rain fell between you, splashing against what little of your face and hit there was left open to the air. You smirked, faintly, seeing the look mirrored in Jacob in that care-free manner he was so very good at, and your hands fell away as he dipped his head to you.

"Much appreciated, love." He smiled, you let out a low breath, your (E/C) eyes glinting in the shadow of your hood.

 _... a little while longer, then..._


End file.
